Been here twice for lunch dim sum. Very pleased. Must try the Porcupine Egg Bun.
(5)
Katie B.
This is my go to place when I have "one of those weeks". I've been coming here for years and have always enjoyed the food and service. Can't go wrong with dim sum, eggplant and tofu, and pork fried rice. Yum!
(4)
Annie M.
Bo and Tuyen did an awesome job as our wedding caterer! Being Asian American, it can be bit challenging to figure out what food best accommodates all your guests. The family had requested to have Chinese banquet. My husband and I however, did not want the typical chinese wedding dinner, especially since we were having the wedding at a more modern venue. In comes Ginger Cafe, with a Asian Fusion menu, that worked perfectly for us. Check out Randy F.'s pics for the actual food photos. The tasting was to die for and gets waived if you do go with them. They cooked the food at the venue, bringing their own kitchen. Most of the food came out hot and Bo made sure that my husband and I were actually eating. Besides the food, Bo was just so helpful during the planning process also! He had given us suggestions of what to do since he has worked at our venue prior. Ginger Cafe also did the ceremony/reception flip, table set-up, and complete clean up after the wedding was over and it was done very efficiently. I could not have asked for a more organized and helpful caterer, who not only cares about the food, but wants to help make your whole wedding a success :D
(5)
Kristy S.
I really like the vegetable Shanghai noodles, and that's really what keeps me coming back. But I've been to the Ginger Cafe a few times where it's just our table of two and one other table with two guests, and we wait over 30 minutes for our dishes to arrive. Four people total in the whole restaurant and a full staff. I wish they'd get a streaming music service instead of playing the radio. I really don't want to listen to commercials while in a restaurant trying to have a nice dinner. It really doesn't fit well with the nice decor. I'll go back for the noodles, after enough time has passed and I forget about how long it takes to get our order to the table. Or I'll just order it to go.
(2)
Benjamin B.
I'll start with the positives: It's clean (including the bathroom), not very crowded, and the food was excellent. We ordered the dinner for two, and the two entrees we chose were the curry chicken and the orange beef. Both exceeded expectations -- the flavors were perfect. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and was served in a stew with eggplant, which was delicious. The beef was crispy and had a light amount of sauce. I cannot praise these two dishes enough, they were both outstanding. For dessert we ordered the Fried banana with banana ice cream. It sounded weird, but we gave it a try and it was superb. I never thought I would like banana ice cream but it was surprisingly good. Portions for everything were big. The negatives: The service was slow, especially considering the place was half empty. The servers were friendly and there seemed to be more than enough of them working for such a small establishment, but for some reason everything they did took a long time. We had to remind them that we had ordered dessert and then they brought it promptly. My wife was also disappointed that the crab dumpling appetizers did not come with any dipping sauce. But I am willing to overlook the slow service for the simple fact that the food is to die for -- definitely recommend for a casual evening out.
(4)
Maria B.
Food is ok, parking not that bad, average waiting time, could get crowded on weekends..
(3)
Ashley A.
I went here for lunch last week with some co workers. It was very busy and the food and menu looked great, so I was expecting great things. I ordered the mango chicken and the mango was still thawing after being frozen. This was a HUGE turn off! The waitress took my meal back and got me a new one, but it was still hard for me to enjoy. Even the chicken pieces looked to be other than chicken breast... I may go and try dim sum there later, but that will be the last draw
(3)
Jas W.
Smelled of oily greasy fried food. Rude hostess, nice waitress. But most importantly, the quality of food and taste was horrible. Some dishes were super salty, others tasted dry and old. I had high expectations for this place ----considering the reviews. Now I think it's the friends/relatives that post the reviews. Sorry for the bad review, I like trendy restaurants like this, but this did not even come close to hitting the mark on decent food.
(1)
Michael F.
Yeah....no this place was not good. Went here with the parentals and the experience was just disappointing. To begin with, it took an eternity for someone to come to our table to bring water, take our orders, etc. And the restaurant wasn't even that crowded. And then when somebody did come, it was literally a different person each time. One person who brought the water. Another who took our orders. Another who brought our appetizer. Another who refilled our water. Another who brought our main dishes. Another who cleared our table. WTF So our first dish arrives. It's actually quite good. The next dishes didn't come for almost 20 minutes. WTF#2. We spoke with the manager and his excuse was that they were cleaning the kitchen. WTF #3. I understand that you have to clean the kitchen, but why does it have to take place while food is to be cooked? And secondly, if it's really that necessary, why didn't you just let us know so we wouldn't wonder where the hell our food was? The manager apologized and subtracted one item off of our bill, so that's why they get two stars instead of one. Overall, disappointing and I most likely won't be back. 2 stars
(2)
C H.
Great happy hour and really really good fusion. To be compared to PF Chang is an insult to GC Really tasty Dim sum sampler and varietal. The bok choi dumplings ,Steamed char situ pork buns, fresh. Siu Mai delish. Sticky sweet rice in tea leaves are outta this world. The Ha GAO is outstanding. You get a free glass of wine or a beer with several happy hour choices, although its kinda hidden in the price. The blue Hawiian is refreshing, not too sweet. Really reasonable prices for food that tastes it was prepared with a lot of care Most of The servers are speedy and friendly. My dog likes the patio
(5)
Rob G.
Almost 6 years after my first visit here, and I'm still impressed and still tell everyone it's my favorite restaurant in town. Wonderful.
(5)
Earlene C.
Ginger Cafe had a booth at the Bridal Expo this weekend and after tasting two of their appetizers we were wanting more! The gf's and I headed to Sunnyvale to see whatelse Ginger Cafe had to offer. Dim sum all day was great!! We opted for the appetizer platter and each of them were yummy. I'm no Dim Sum connoisseur and I don't question what's inside. I just bite and if I like it, I tear it up! We enjoyed the Dim Sum, Sesame Balls, Chicken Mu Shu, Curry Chicken and Combination Chow Fun. Service was good and the place itself is a nice modern restaurant. Prices were decent. Ironically its accross the street from PF Changs. I'm not a fan of Changs. Ginger Cafe all the way!
(4)
Maneet S.
In the area for a few weeks and wanted some Chinese food. Decided to give this place a shot. The people on the phone didn't really know what they were talking about. All I wanted was a veggie lo mein and they kept saying something else. When I came to pick it up they were very nice. Offered me water while I waited. Small little place but clean and appealing. In terms of the food it was great. Plenty of noodles enough to probably serve two people. I like!
(4)
Mia R.
One of the best Asian Fusion returant in the Bay Area... hands down. its my top 3 pick in throughout San Jose and San Francisco Bay
(5)
Becky K.
Pros: - Great interior decor. Lots to look at, visually stimulating and tastefully done - Delicious food... And I'll be honest. It's Americanized, and I think they call it "Asian fusion," because they have various nationalities represented in their menu. Spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce. Chinese meats and stir-fry. You get the idea. And everything I tasted was absolutely delicious. Sure, the main ingredient was probably MSG, but hey, I will definitely go back. You should also try to crispy fish...? Even though it took a long time for one of my coworkers to get it, oh man, it was worth every bite. Cons: - The waitstaff is nice but slooowwwww. I think they're understaffed because it took probably 15 minutes (being one of two parties when we first arrived) to get our order down. Took probably 30 minutes or more to finally get our food (and by that time, the place was packed). And then another 10 minutes to get our check. Just not enough time to eat here if you're on a lunch break (like I was) - The way the interior is designed makes for a very loud dining space - Kind of expensive considering it's Asian food. $8 for spring rolls? I mean, really?
(4)
Thistle C.
After reading the reviews others had left, I had high hopes for Ginger Cafe. Unfortunately the food didn't come even close to hitting them. We got two lunch specials. The first was sweet and sour pork. There was shrimp in it (in batter, so we couldn't tell until we bit into it). Good thing neither of us is allergic. The second was supposedly orange chicken. There was no sauce of any kind on it. The batter was slightly discolored, so I think there may had been sauce close to it at some point in time, but it was bone dry when we opened the container. 100% flavorless. They get one star for a friendly staff and a good sized container of free soup with the meals (so many places stopped giving the free soup when you get take out). I will not be going back there again.
Summary: Good service, but food quality on par with McDonald's. If you're looking for Americanized Asian cuisine, then there are much better options across the street. Service was good. When we walked in for lunch today, Sunday, the staff greeted us and immediately sat us. The waitress was attentive, helpful, and friendly. Food was bad. Really bad. I ordered the Mango Chicken with Oolong Tea, my girlfriend ordered the Beef and Asparagus with Strawberry Lemonade, and my friend ordered a vegetarian dish and water. The vegetarian dish was supposedly fine, but the chicken and beef dishes were awful. The "Mango Chicken" was served as a bunch of mangled chicken by-product with chunks of canned vegetables, including mango, smothered in a thick cream sauce. There wasn't much taste to any of it. The chicken was chewy enough that I initially thought it wasn't cooked. After sending it back when the waitress checked to see if everything was ok, I realized that the chicken was cooked all the way. The chewiness was because it's chicken by-product rather than sliced chicken meat. The mango wasn't fresh and had the consistency of something that has been marinating in juices or preservatives in a can. Fresh mango would be crisp, juicy and flavorful. The cream sauce was antithesis of icing on the cake, but the analogy fits if you flip all expectations of icing and cake. Hours later, I could still taste the sauce in my mouth. I was happy to get home and brush my teeth. My girlfriend had similar problems with her Beef and Asparagus. We weren't quite sure if it was a beef by-product, but it definitely had a chewiness that you wouldn't expect from thin-sliced beef steak. The asparagus wasn't bad, but the sauce on her plate was almost as bad as mine. At least she didn't have a cream sauce. On the other hand, my friend who ordered the vegetarian plate swears it wasn't bad. This was a repeat visit for him. Maybe they do vegetarian better, but the canned vegetables on my plate aren't giving me much confidence.
(2)
Bernard L.
The food is great. The service is great. The prices of the food is excellent. Been to GC w/a family of 13ppl. We ordered plenty of food for everyone to be full plus dessert and our bill was only $167 w/out the tip. Dammm!!!! I thought for sure our bill would easily be over $200 but we've been here at least 4X and everytime we always say " that was cheap and the food taste great". We always tip our server generously especially after the superb service that they always deliver. Always checking on us if we need refills on drinks. fyi-when eating in, it's way cheaper to get the meals for two or more.
(5)
Coral S.
If u don't have cocktails it's pretty cheap and everything I've had so far is really good ! Been a bunch of times for lunch keep going back. !
(4)
Benny L.
This is a Chinese (including dim sum) restaurant with some fusion aspects to it. It's very clean and contemporary, and service is generally solid. The food is decent. Sometimes it's very good, sometimes it's mediocre. It kinda depends on which day you go. Some days, the soup for the lunch special was hot and sour -- 9/10. Some days (like today), it was some sort of egg drop soup I think -- 3/10. I also got a salad today for the first time... very sparse and almost devoid of flavor -- 3/10. The Mongolian Beef was rather chewy, but still solid. When I go in groups, I find that I like the food better... because we try some dim sum, appetizers, etc. But when I order a lunch special for myself, whether alone or not, I usually get the Mongo Beef. And it's mediocre (I should probably try something else, OBVIOUSLY). Anyway, food is between 3-4 stars. Everything else (service, atmosphere, etc.) is 4-5 stars. So I give it 4.
(4)
Amy M.
This is a pretty restaurant. I love the interior. We've been visiting Ginger Cafe for awhile and so far, the place still looks good. We have noticed some improvements in their food, though and the reason that I finally have to write this Yelp review. We stopped by over the weekend. We like how they've been adding some new dishes here and there, so this time, we tried the "Fried Tilapia Filet". OMG, it tasted so good and the "spicy" part of it was just right. We ate it all up! I would recommend this dish! I love their Rainbow Halo Halo -- it was a hot day and it was perfect. Lots of "fillers" in there. And of course, their Cassava Bar for dessert has always been our favorite. Yes, sweet and good; a perfect way to end a meal. Service was excellent. I don't know how long that one waitress has been around, but she's still there and doing an excellent job. Very friendly. (Thank you!) Yes, we will return!
(5)
Jing F.
I might need to revisit this place again to get a favorable rate. I ordered TO GO for just a couple of dim sum ..their specialty is Southeast Asian food...I didn't have the time to sit and dine inside their nice, very comfy restaurant...I really wanted to get that Seafood Soup (tamarind based soup). The dim sum that I got...one order of siumai (3 pcs) and sticky rice w meat in a lotus leaf (2 pcs). The dim sum is very tasty but the portion is so small and pricey. Nevertheless ..I shall return (ala Gen MacArthur) ...I really need to try their specialty . BTW: their staff are super nice =)
(3)
Vinoda N.
I have been here many times and the food is excellent - no doubts on that. On all previous occasions, I have had great service as well and I would have given 4 starts for this place. I went there last evening (9/5/2013) with my friends - the food was good but not the great food I was used to from this place. Last night was very different. The service was very slow - I had up front told the guy that too the order that we were on a tight schedule. We were there at 5:30PM and we had till 6:45PM to complete our meal. We ordered some food to-go as well. The place was not too crowded as well. I went and reminded the waiter about our time crunch and we needed the food faster. Half my friends had to leave before all of us completed our food and dessert was made to-go. When the bill came I gave them a 12% tip instead of their suggested 15% or 18% or 20%. The waiter was upset with that and asked me if the service was that bad. Actually the service was so bad I should not have tipped - I was being very decent in giving him 12%. I told him that the service was slow hence the low tip. He just shook his head in dis-belief!!! He actually though he had gone above and beyond. Though the percentage was small in absolute numbers it was around $30. Remember there was food to-go as well. I hope the management asks their staff not to accost customers on the tip front. I have never had this experience ever in the US. As they say, there is always a first time.
(2)
Dana A.
Fresh, clean, good service, delicious. Get 4 people and order: Chicken Chow Mein Sweet and Sour Pork Orange Chicken Mongolian Beef and you will be super happy. The one in Gilroy is awesome as well.
(5)
S R.
Pathetic. Understaffed, under managed. With a reservation in place, group of more than ten people was waiting more than 30 minutes to be served. Uncalled for.
(1)
Kim N.
I do ahve to say I like the look and the feel of the place. Im not convinced however that I love the good. It's pretty decent if you're looking for someone modernist take on Asian flavors. I think when they first opened they didn't have dim sum yet, and I've not tried that portion of the menu. Like PF Chang's not too far away, it's Asian flavors done in a safe, non bold way for those who are a bit timid about such cuisine.
(3)
Pankil S.
We ordered vegetable dumplings and Eggplant Tofu.Dumplings were nice and so was eggplant. The only wrinkle was eggplant skin!!. It's skin. I am guessing eggplant was frozen and thus skin could not be chewed completely but other wise dish was awesome. Service was nice. Waitress kept checking on us. Overall we liked our lunch.
(3)
Hello G.
Let me say this, any restaurant with multiple speciality from different countries is a O-KAY place for me but Ginger Cafe some what proved me wrong. They have a large selection for everyone to choose from for example from Thai food to Vietnamese noodles. The prices are high but they don't come in small portions. You can order spicy thai fried rice, share it with two friends and still be full, unless you are a heavy eater. From what I have tried their food are above average and better than what's across the street (PFCHANGY). Their pineapple fried rice is an absolute favorite of mine, the taste hit me like a storm. Maybe I was in the mood for it that's why I'm saying it but It was very good compare to most place. I also tried their Saigon noodles, for me it was too much greens, it was more of a healthy dish for those who loves their greens. There was a lot more that my co-workers ordered, their names are not on the top of my head right now but from what I remembered, I didn't not dislike any dishes that came my way. They have a bar their which I thought was great. Their drinks are good, the bartender knows how to make his drinks very well. They also have a very good selections of drinks for those who like liquors or non-liquors. The location is nice and the decoration of the restaurant is fabulous. I felt like pulling out my camera and taking pictures of the whole place. it's a perfect place for dinner or lunch, with friends, family, and enemies. I would return to try more of their items or just TOGO the pineapple fried rice and eat it all at home. haha Anyways that's my review hope it helps
(3)
Antonio S.
3 and 1/2 star? Really? A bit harsh. :-) I first went here on a recommendation from a co-worker. I thought this place would be a 'cafe' and didn't expect much. I walk in and BAAMMMM ... surprise ... surprise! Very nice decor! I would have never guessed this place looked like this on the inside from having the name 'cafe' attached to it. The overall service was good and the food is really tasty! I have been here twice already and haven't been disappointed. I will say the draw backs are: 1) Parking during lunch sucks arse. 2) It's small inside. Other then that. Great place to eat! p.s. great pricing!
(4)
Yvonne N.
I'll give this place 1.5 stars, waitress was nice and attentive. The hubby was craving tamarind tiger prawns and garlic noodles, so I did a yelp search and didn't come up with much in the SJ area. I was hesitant to try ginger cafe due to the mix of reviews, but I did see a few yays on the prawns and noodles...so I tried the place and I'm sad to say that it's a hands down for me! The garlic noodles were so AWFUL...it was like asian fettuccini alfredo overly sauced without garlic. The tamarind tiger prawns were definitely not prawn sized and were just shrimp but battered and fried with the sauce poured over. The sauce was tasty and tamarind like, I give them that. Both dishes were not what I expected or have had before. But what was I expecting eh, I'm not in SF. The noodles were not edible and hard to scarf down, the waitress was nice and switched out the dish to another noodle dish - props to her, wasn't sure if that was possible ! We also had the sea bass, which had good flavor. Portions are big, overpriced and they have a bar! Unfortunately, I won't be coming back to Ginger Cafe based on the noodles and prawns!
(1)
Lisa C.
We've never noticed this restaurant, but my brother suggested it for dinner the other day. We came here on the early side at 5:30pm because we had a toddler with us. Despite the atmosphere, the restaurant was suitable for kids - they used a creamer to store a bunch of crayons - that was a hit because it was different. And, they had some coloring paper as well. Now, if your child is loud, it will be noticeable because the restaurant is so quiet. A lot of different dishes to choose from. It was hard to narrow down our order. We ordered: - dim sum sampler - Bok Choy Dumplings, Blue Crab Dumplings, Curry Scallop Puffs, Shrimp Puffs, and Steamed Pork Buns. This was pretty good and fresh. My favorite was the blue crab dumplings. - fongsa soft-shell crab - great dish - very tasty. You can take all of the loose panko crumbs and mix it in with rice to finish off the dish. - lemongrass chicken - my husband really enjoyed this dish. - twice cooked pork tenderloin - one of my favorites of the night. The pork was so tender. - pineapple fried rice - this was OK. Nothing special about the rice. - garlic noodles (from kid's menu) - I had ordered this for my daughter since it wasn't spicy. I was not as impressed with the noodles. They were a little on the oily side. - porcupine custard buns - came out piping hot. This was good, but it was a little strange because it was in the shape of a rodent, complete with "eyes" (sesame seed). The portions are a good size. You can ask for less or more spiciness in the dishes. I think this restaurant will be a regular place in our rotation of restaurants.
(4)
John-Michael C.
I love the decor and still think this would be a great location for a lounge if they would only move to a different area in fear of code violation and then upgrade their speaker system to blast some real mood music. Otherwise the food isn't necessarily great nor bad. There are some fine touches in the fusion department that they are trying to portray despite the very traditional appointed kitsch. The typical food is good but I would come here strictly for the porcupine bun... *drool I'm what you would call a dessert lover at heart. ;D
(3)
Claudia S.
Came here a couple times and it's got nice quiet ambiance with good food.
(4)
Wolfram A.
Fantastic fried tofu. I really enjoyed lunch here. Service was good and fast.
(4)
Jasmine C.
I don't know where to begin. Um. Well, I'm finally writing a review that I've been dying to write ever since I started working there. And I finally get to because I am FREE and no longer working there! Hooray! (Just kidding guys.) Ginger Cafe's stuff is GOOD. To me at least and for a lot of people that eat there (seriously, there's one family that keeps coming in every week.) In no way does this place claim to be 'authentic Chinese food', and please do NOT come here expecting it to be a traditional hole-in-the-wall restaurant, because it's not! It's got a bit of everything. I love the food there because they give you pretty big portions and it's yummy. It's also meant to be served family style. That being said, let's move to the food. Items like orange chicken or sweet and sour pork is good, yes, but it's not OMGIT'STODIEFOR. I don't think it's meant to be that way, because it's not their specialty. Try their Potato Beef (or chicken. The potato's almost like fries...except in half moon shaped), or Twice Cooked Pork Tenderloin, or Mango Chicken (a popular choice), or Wor Ba Prawn! These are amazingly good, depending on your taste buds. I'd suggest Salt and Pepper Calamari or Catfish, Black Bean Sauce Catfish, or Sea bass if you're feeling fishy. Personally, I don't like sea bass...but the sauce for the steamed one is SO good *_*. Their lunch specials a good deal too. Their best daily soup is on Friday, Beef Stew. (Only up until 3:00pm!) It is so, SO good. I wish I could take the whole stock home. Also, you can definitely modify to however you want the dish to be. Less salty, more spicy, or change the chicken to beef, they'll do it for you (don't feel afraid to tell your server! It's not a bother at all.) I've even seen someone order Mandarin tofu in Thai Curry sauce! They have a full bar, plasma TV if you don't want to miss on your sports, a pretty bathroom, outside seating, and it's very clean. Really. I would know because I was the one scrubbing down the chairs and tables. T_T Anyways, definitely give this place a try. Even though it looks alot like P.F. Changs, I like Ginger better because of the taste, food portions, and friendly fast service. I used to be iffy about the prices, but hey, they give you alot of food. It's upscale like P.F.'s, but I suppose more bang for the buck. For some dishes at least. Oh, for the record, I can speak Chinese. So can the owner of the place, the cook, few servers, and one of the managers, David. :] All my love Ginger, it's been a great 5 and a half months working with everyone. *update* They have this new dessert called Coconut Mango Shot ($2.00 for one, $4.50 for three) and it is SO good. It cleanses your palate and makes you want more. Be sure to check it out!
(4)
Grant L.
I came here due to the great reviews from my fellow yelpers. Our party was a party of 10 that took up the middle spot at 8:30pm on a Friday night, not sure why but when I called in to book a table they said they were super busy, the place was half full when I got there. Since there were 10 of us, we got 5 orders of the Dinner for two for $30 bucks, we thought great deal since we can get appetizers, two course, rice bowl (or fried rice), and a dessert from their preset dinner meal plan. Appetizers came out fairly quickly after we ordered, it was the wait after the appetizers and main course that irritated me, 45 minutes we saw anything else. I wouldn't mind the wait if the place was busy but the tables around us were getting their food prior to us and most of the sat down after us. There wasn't an apology during the wait other than the food is coming once from our waitress. If we had to wait that long the courtesy thing was to provide something else to hold us over. We were about to bail but just like a movie our food came FINALLY. Only thing that saved this from being a 1 star review was the food was bloody good. But I can't say I'll be dining inside again, maybe just take out
(2)
Benjamin B.
Overall it was OK. The service was great, the food was OK. I would have like more veggies with my lunch entree, but the flavor was good and the variety on the menu was nice to see. Add more veggies and you'd have a raving fan.
(3)
Krys B.
I'd really like to give this place 3.5 stars, because it's not my first choice to eat, but it is darn good. I chose to give it 4 stars because it's a great choice for vegetarians - there's a whole section on the menu for veggie chicken and tofu items. Outside, this place doesn't look impressive at all. Isn't that often the case? Inside, the decor is attractive and modern, very tasteful. It's not quite intimate, but it makes for a good friends-going-to-dinner or not-so-serious date. The food is DELICIOUS. There's a huge bar, and while the dessert menu could use a little work, you can get your sweet calories in with a milkshake or cocktail instead. Sure, I recommend it. It's convenient, quiet, and tastylicious.
(4)
Brian K.
Ambiance: Excellent Service: OK Food: Blue crab dumplings: Tasty, but "Where's the Crab"? Only found a few strands in ours. Scallop Puffs: Tastes more like an Indian Samosa with a few small hints of scallop meat. Heavy and greasy. Coconut Chicken Soup: Very good, creamy and similar to Thai Style, only not Spicy and lacks ginger. I would still recommend this. Shanghai Noodle Triple Delight: Excellent! Huge portion, tasty with lots of stuff. My favorite dish here so far.
(4)
Sahiba J.
Ginger Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants. It offers a wide variety of unique dishes to chose from. Their blend of spices steps away from the average American Chinese food and gives a new twist to Chinese food. Service is great although seating for large groups is a problem because the store is fairly small. Portions are generous! I would definitely rate this in my top 5 favorite Chinese fusion restaurants. My favorite dish on the menu is their fried tilapia. It is the best fish I have ever had, hands down. Best part is the restaurant offers a good variety of vegetarian food that is not bland!
(4)
Danielle P.
Every single time I come here the food is amazing. I have tried at least 5 different main dishes on their menu and every one of them is delicious. I would recommend a dish but they are all so good that it wouldn't be fair to the other dishes :) The waitress (we always seem to get the same one!) is always very nice and remembers us when we come in. The atmosphere is very nice and the prices aren't too expensive. For two people you can get away with spending $35 on dinner. If you don't feel like going out to eat and you want to stay in your sweat pants (which is sometimes the case for us) then you can order over the phone and just pick it up! Best Chinese food I've had in a VERY long time. YUM! After talking about it I think I'm going to go tonight!
(5)
Allison B.
So good! Admittedly, very americanized, but good. I had a cold and desperately wanted some good soup, so I came here and ordered the wonton soup and pot stickers. Both were excellent! Service was pretty good, though waitress had no personality and seemed little cold. Food was quick and well done thoug. Nice atmosphere too...
(4)
HK R.
The Ginger Cafe is awesome! Had a fantastic meal of dumplings with blue crab and another order shanghai style, spicy coconut soup and the orgasmic alaskan king crab legs - ending with the cream cheese dessert! Just forget that its in a strip center and drag your carcass there - you will pleasantly transported into a beautiful restaurant that you can share with your friends and family! Enjoy!
(4)
Shawn P.
You walk in and the decor is pretty cool! My first thought is that the food won't be able to live to the surroundings, man, I couldn't be more wrong. I had the dim sum sampler platter (they have dim sum all day everyday,yay!) which is 2 of 5 or 6 small bites.) Some unusual but very tasty pairings of flavors. I also tried the sesame balls w/red bean paste, porcupine egg custard cups and a tofu eggplant dish that was divine. Our waiter was very polite and helpful and had great timing. Definitely going there again to try other items.
Fresh late night eats are hard to come by ... especially when you've gone back and forth and exhausted 2 Pho restaurants in the Sunnyvale area and you're about to resort to In-n-Out (which you know is a choice that you'll really regret later on). But all of a sudden, you see a gleaming "Open" sign in a newly built strip mall that looks like it might have some decent edibles inside. Ginger Cafe is like a Pasta Pomodoro for the Asian set - the decor inside was impressive, and the high ceilings had me mesmerized for a good minute! The Asian zen feel was quite apparent, and then I looked at the menu. The food was a bit overpriced and not very "fresh" in terms of ideas or concepts. It seemed like an Asian one-stop shop, with Thai dishes, Vietnamese spring rolls, Chinese dim sum, and Asian salads on the fold-out menu. The waiter was nice enough, and took our orders for Hong Kong Pan Fried Noodles and Teriyaki Chicken Salad which was served promptly on clean white plates. The ingredients were fresh (as advertised) but the flavors were either too salty or too run-of-the-mill. It was good, but not amazing. We definitely weren't picky at that time of the evening though, so it was satisfying enough. I would have loved to have a few spins on the typical Asian dishes so it would be step up from PF Chang's and a little more unique. In short, Ginger Cafe needs to spice it up, otherwise we'll be better off going to the hole-in-the-wall family establishments and the local In-n-Out. I know a girl who works here, so it'd probably be better to visit when she's working. :D UPDATE: Try the Caramelized Garlic Prawns - they were delicious.
(3)
Sudha S.
Vegetarians - try the Spicy cumin tofu and the fried tofu.. veg fried rice is not bad, nothing exceptional. Lunch menu is a good deal..tasty, filling and not too expensive..
(4)
Carl S.
I have been here twice and loved it both times. However, I do not recommend the Pad Thai. That was bland and tasteless! One of my friends ordered that to share and I didn't like it. But I did love my usual chicken curry and the beef and potatoes dish! So much flavor! And the soup was wonderful as well. The service is great and most of the food wonderful. This is my new place for lunch (As long as you avoid the pad thai(
(4)
Tracy C.
Ate here for the first time last night for dinner. My new favorite for asian fusion! we got the pan fried blue crab dumpling and vegetarian dumpling for dim sum. both were hot, fresh and super yummy! then we had the crispy tofu in mandarin sauce and eggplant tofu in garlic sauce for entrees. both were very sizable portions split between four people. we would have had leftovers, but the crispy mandarin tofu was so addictive, we finished it all! we were stuffed when we left. prices are very reasonable. all this with two glasses of wine and two thai iced teas came to $60. not bad! this is also a great place for vegetarians and tofu lovers. the interior is cute and warm and inviting. we all really enjoyed our experience. the dim sum runs at $4.50
(4)
Ashley R.
Everything about this place is okay. Service - good Food (served family style) - good Ambiance - good but a little crowded Drinks - good (I had a mango cosmo) I'll probably try this place again and hopefully order something that stands out more.
(3)
Nirmal S.
The service is so bad I cannot find words to describe it. The hole in the wall Asian places in Milpitas offer better service than this one. 0.5 * for food. Not sure I am getting old and cranky, the noise level at the place was unusually very very loud.
(1)
Lori K.
Ordered Mango Curry Chicken - it was delicious and I'm still thinking about it. Also tried my friend's Crispy Tofu in Mandarin sauce, also very good!!
(4)
Christine P.
Wanted to take a little time after our wedding to write about Ginger Cafe. It was WONDERFUL to have them cater our wedding. We had a 260 person wedding in November at the San Jose Woman's Club. It was a completely blank slate which means that we really had to rely on our vendors. We met with Bo and Tuyen and their experience really showed through. Since it was a Vietnamese/Japanese wedding, they knew about certain cultural preferences (like honored guests get served first, etc...) and they knew what types of food to suggest. On the day of the wedding, they had their kitchen set up outside of the venue and used the kitchen for plating. Everyone said they LOVED their food, even the vegetarian guests told us how much they enjoyed it. Our menu included three appetizers: shrimp on puffcakes, shrimp on sugarcane, and a vegetarian dumpling. Our main entrees included a cauliflower soup, salmon salad, beef/lobster, veggies, and a banana cheesecake. When we went tasting, we fell in love with the cauliflower crab soup -- it was one of the reasons why we booked with Ginger Cafe. Knowing how busy and tired we were on the wedding day, Bo brought us an extra soup because he knew how much we loved it. While we didn't get to eat much that night, Ginger Cafe packed our foods in a togo boxes. After the after-party was done, we scrambled up to our rooms and just ate out of the togo boxes. It was HEAVENLY. The lobster was amazing and my husband couldn't stop talking about how tender the beef was. We killed both of the cheesecakes that were packed for us. The most important aspect for us at the wedding was the food and the booze for all the people we loved the most in the world. We were able to invite everyone we wanted without breaking our bank and the food was fantastic. A major thank you to Bo and Tuyen for making our wedding absolutely perfect. P.S. Anyone who compares this place to Panda Express AND gives Taco Bell 5 stars is seriously a joke. You must be used to crap-dining. Who can take a person like that seriously?
(5)
Tani H.
This place is actually great. When you don't want the overpriced loudness of PF Changs down the block, come here. Great wine selection and great sized pours, ample food that is very tasty, nice people ... a lovely restaurant inside. Highly recommend it!
(4)
Brian M.
Wow... Who knew that right across the street from P.F. Chang's would be Chinese food that I like much better. I had the Combination Chow Mein preceded by Cream Cheese Crab Puffs. Both were delicious. Big portions, fresh vegetables and meat/seafood, no-wait seating and very polite service make for a superior dining experience. I wholeheartedly recommend Ginger Cafe to anyone!
(5)
Celina P.
Great food! I love their chicken chow mein and the orange chicken. I enjoy the chow mein because of the flavor and fresh vegetables! After being introduced to Ginger Cafe, this is the restaurant that I go to for my favorite dish. I take out or dine in. I enjoy dining in because it is very clean and the servers are friendly.
(5)
Sandra L.
By far one of my favorite Chinese fusion places to eat at! I love, love, love this place, especially if you are coming for lunch and need to get in, out and back to work in an hour! One of the big reasons I give this place 5 stars! When ever I'm in the mood for some good fusion food I love coming to the Ginger Cafe. The food is always freshly cooked, hot, full of flavor, and the portions are good for leftovers! Some of my favorite items are: - Chinese Sausage Papaya Salad - Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups - Chicken Corn Chowder Soup (not on the menu) - Mongolian Beef - Crispy Tofu in Mandarin Sauce - Chili Chicken That is just naming a few and don't forget you can get a decent selection of Dim Sum all day! You can't tell me you've never craved Dim Sum for dinner before, well I know I have and you can get it here! The prices are a little on the higher side but in my opinion worth the price you pay in taste and portion. The service has always been friendly and the food has always come from the kitchen quickly and steaming. I wouldn't hesitant at recommending Ginger Cafe to anyone and has introduced this place to many already!
(5)
Susan D.
Don't let the 'Cafe' part of the Ginger Cafe's name fool you like it did my date and me tonight. We stopped into Ginger Cafe tonight while looking for some fast, easy dinner... we didn't get that. This is a nice, well-designed and decorated restaurant with higher-end entrees, dim sum, top-shelf alcohol and a decent looking wine selection. It's interior was so tranquil and nice, it reminded me of my favorite high-end fusion restaurant in Vegas, Little Buddah. Most of the food was pretty good, though not authentic and not as good as Little Buddah, or as pricey though! Since Dennis O has a good point about 'don't go to a fusion restaurant and expect authentic'... I'll bump my 3.5 star up to a 4 star review. This will even out the 3 star that my date will give... if he ever writes another dumb review that is. haha My Saigon Noodles were great though I have no idea why they were called that as they seemed a typical Chinese noodle dish. The shrimp, calamari and veggies were fresh and cooked well. The Dim Sum shu mai and shrimp dumplings were pretty good too, though not the best I've had. I wouldn't hesitate going back for them again if I was craving off-hours dim sum. The Viet spring roll and fried roll though... I'd skip them. Even the fish sauce that accompanied them was sweet and not NicMamish at all. haha Look at the white girl complain... So, this joint is a lil nicer and more expensive than I like on a typical dinner. Our bill came to about 50$ for 2 people... ouch. It would be fine if we were on a planned nice dinner out but just to stop by a 'cafe'... not so much. That being said, it's still nice enough that I might be back. Might see ya there!
(4)
Merlin H.
I really like Ginger Cafe, I have never dined in but I had ordered take away 5-6 times. Food is great. Recently I found a piece of metal in my pork fried rice after I finished about half of my entree. I wanted to vomit it all up. The next day I brought the piece of metal in along with my receipt, so they can replace whatever utensil the metal came from and hopefully avoid this from happening again. They seemed to care and were apologetic, but didn't even offer to replace refund my meal. In all fairness it was 2 days later, and I was eating left overs, but still. Classy thing to do would of been to offer a refund. I don't think I'll be eating at Ginger Cafe again.
(1)
Liz H.
Since our last review this place has improved, and so it was time for an update. Maybe because we are ordering different dishes now, or maybe because the menu has changed, but we like the dishes here now better than before, and we have become regulars at this place. Our favorites are the Potstickers starter dish, Orange Chicken, Kung Pao chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Saigon street chow fun. They also have a good selection of vegetarian dishes. We took several vegetarian friends over, and they all loved them. Their lemon cassave dessert is awesome. Something I have never had anywhere else, but I'm a big fan! As I mentioned in my previous review, prices are good, they have a large selection of yummy cocktails, and nice, modern decor. Overall, I now would recommend this place, especially if you find that PF Changs on the opposite side of the street has a long waiting time.
(4)
Jeremy H.
I have been working with Ginger Cafe for the past 6 months, in preparation for them catering our wedding, which happened last weekend. The portions of this review which are specific to their catering service might not totally apply to some readers, but you should read anyway. Think of it this way - their decor had nothing to do with our wedding, so all I can review is their food and service. By far, Ginger Cafe was our most reliable wedding vendor. They jumped through quite a few hoops to make our banquet amazing. When we found out that our venue would not allow us to cook within the building, only to use a *food warmer*, we didn't know what to do, as reheated stir-fried chinese food was not acceptable. But the guys at Ginger told us that if we could just find an outdoor space for them near the venue, they'd set up their gas powered woks, and cook wherever. They ended up across the street, cooking in a fenced-off alleyway, ferrying the dished across 2 lanes of cross-traffic, making their job much more difficult, but no one even noticed any effect on the serving of the dishes. We had countless compliments on how delicious the food was. We had a fair mix of ethnicities, and everyone told us how delicious it was - even the eaters of typically bland food, and those picky about quality. They even kept tabs on the other venders. Our bartender got a little drunk, unfortunately, and Ginger cafe stepped in to make sure that there weren't bar glasses being left everywhere. Any of their dim sum is great, but have the shrimp and leek dumplings - full-sized, whole shrimp, and skin which is not chewy, but not soft. Cumin lamb. Papaya Salad. all good. The favorites at our banquet were these, though: the Filet Mignon Luc Lac and the Sea Bass. Both of these were so flavorful, and so tender in texture. My cousin specifically came to me and gave me a huge chunk of sea bass on a tiny plate, with nothing else in the middle of the wedding, telling me that I *HAD* to eat it. I did, and even after it having been cooked in the most inconvenient of places, and run across a street, to be plated and put on our table, it was hot and delicious. I see a few people saying that they dislike the fact that ginger cafe uses tortilla-like skins for their peking duck. To that I say... they *do* label themselves as a Fusion Restaurant. If you want standard chinese peking duck... go to a peking duck restaurant. Ginger Cafe has completely won me over with their delicious food, and their serious dedication. I live in Oakland, but look forward to the time when i can drive an hour down to Sunnyvale and have a meal there.
(5)
Karen W.
Food was a bit bland for my taste. There were some dishes that was like Chinese food but with a fusion/American feel to it. Just more authentic and cheaper then PF Changs. Great for folks who want the service and ambiance but the taste I think lacks a bit. Overall just ok
(2)
Jeff T.
Where do I begin? As Shirley Bassey famously says in her hit single. I heard this place was good through a good friend of mine. I have no idea what munchies she was having from her pregnancy, but wow, I would never return here again. It was not even the service that turned me off, it was the FOOD. It was not edible, it felt like they bought microwavable food from your local grocery store and heated it up and called it Asian fusion. All day dim sum: Lobster dumpling- Sounding appealing, but it was heavy on your mouth and it tasted more like ground beef and dumpling fighting. Siu Mai- I've definitely had better. Costco microwavable ones are more satisfying than this. Filet Mignon Luc Lac- This entree costs $24, and oh boy, I felt so bad wasting my hard earned money on something that I could've ate at home for maybe $5? Buy some beef at Safeway, add some pepper, soy sauce and onions and call it Filet Mignon. It was salty, no orgasm in your mouth and left a bad thick texture on my tongue. Saigon Street Chow Fun- Hmm...again sorry to continue my banter, but it was mostly Sizzling Satay Three Delights- I was looking forward to this one because it has fish, calamari and chicken. All things I loved! But it came out very oily and it was the taste that ma Man, I'm never going to trust a restaurant that is named "Cafe" to turn out good. I have no idea why this has a lot of reviews and 3.5 stars and 152 reviews, with that many reviews, it makes me wonder if those people who reviewed high have medically correct taste buds or low expectations with food. If I am around the area, I'd rather eat at Target food court than this place. Sorry Ginger Cafe, good luck with everything.
(1)
Natasha S.
LOVE this place ... super super yummy. ive only gone wrong here ONCE in the many times i have been here. what i ordered was the mango chicken ... puke! otherwise ive tried: the cream cheese crab puffs ... (yummy!) soft shell crab rolls ... (interesssting) string been chicken ... (my favorite!!) orange chicken ... (never can go wrong with that) crispy tofu in mandarin sauce ... (was skeptical but it was surprisingly good!) overall: definitely will go back to this place as many times as i can
(5)
Emily Z.
Came to this nice little restaurant with my co-workers on my second day of my new job. To be honest, if it wasn't for them... I don't think I will go here since it's tucked away in a small business plaza. The decor inside is cute. Lots of A-Z-N "artifacts" occupying the place. It's big enough to host a small group of people but I'm thinking no more than 12. Service was okkkkkkkay.... The very first time, since there's about 12 of us, and not everyone had cash so we wanted to have split checks... our waiter kept going on and on about how each credit card transaction was gonna take a VERRRRY long time to process... and when one of my co-worker asked him exactly what's consider a "long" time... the guy said..."about 1 min" =\ ANNNYWAYS. That was just a weird little snippet but other than that, the service was seriously just OKAY. Our water wasn't always being topped off and the food came out a little slow. But the only reason why I would continue going there is their Fried Tofu dish. For $8.50 you get soup, choice between steam/friend rice, and your main dish. Not bad for the price of lunch and the flavor is AH-MAY-ZING. Another great dish is their Blue Crab dumpling thing in the apps section. The flavor is really nicely put together given that they mix the crab meat with chhhhhhheeese (if you know me, you'll know that I'm not a fan of cheese). Overall, a great place to dine in Sunnyvale.
(4)
A. M.
I haven't eaten here for years since they opened and I was dismally reminded why. We started with their Dim Sum Sampler, which was okay, the pan fried items were a bit on the oily/greasy side. We also ordered, the Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps, Lemon Grass Chicken, Sauteed Tofu with Cumin, and white rice. Everything we ordered tasted overly greasy/oily and/or overly seasoned or spiced. Cumin is already a very strong spice and a little bit goes a long ways. This tofu dish was literally drowning in cumin and it was so strong that it overpowered all the other ingredients and all I tasted was the cumin, nothing else. Funny, how I didn't taste the lemon grass in the chicken dish. For an Asian restaurant, the rice was really terrible. We ended up taking most of it home and thought I'd give it another shot as leftovers for lunch, but it was worst the second day. All the flavors and spices and oil that was marinading overnight just magnified. I couldn't eat it and just threw it out. I had to eat an apple and brush my teeth to rid of all the excess cumin and oily residue. With all that said, the service was actually good despite our bill being overcharged.
(2)
Michaela S.
After a long half-day of Bridal Fair stuff, the tasty treats that Ginger Cafe had at the booth at the fair had us wanting more!!! So off we ladies went to Ginger Cafe..... It's been a while since I had dim sum, so the appetizer platter of the Dim Sum was good choice. Chow Fun was also consumed as was curry.... The food was yummy and service was good. The atmosphere and decor of the restaurant was nice, as we got a very fancy yet eastern looking booth. I think it was a Great idea for Ginger Cafe to post up a booth a a Bridal Fair. Not only will they possibly get clients for weddings / events but they will get patrons of their restaurant, just as we ladies were (and I sure will be in the future!!)
(4)
owen l.
Great vegetarian choices. Awesome service
(5)
Elise G.
Americanized Chinese food that's yummy with good service and ambiance. Lunch was inexpensive, filling, and tasty. We ordered a whole bunch of dim sum and a main dish. Only $49 for the three of us. The lobster dumplings were so flavorful. It was a steamed rice dumpling filled with corn, potatoes, lobster, and some sort of creamy sauce. It was so good. The shrimp and Baby bock choy dumpling was another favorite. You could tell it was freshly made because the vegetables were green and juicy and the dumpling wrapper was gooey and soft like mochi. The shrimp was cooked to perfection and so moist. Get the porcupine custard buns. They're so cute and a nice ending to your meal. The spines are all crunchy and the filling is sweet and chestnut-like. I wasn't a huge fan of the pan fried blue crab dumpling, har gow, nor the Shanghai dumpling (although one of my friends described it as one of her favorites). A mediocre item was the pan fried leek dumpling. The ginger chicken with green beans and fried rice lunch entree was pretty good. It was slightly sweet with a little spicy kick to it. The meat was really soft and tender. Overall, i really liked this place and I would come here to eat over Sino, which has comparable food. This place has way better food and a cute, casual atmosphere.
(4)
Lori K.
Ginger Cafe is a great place for some good Asian fusion food. It is not meant to be an authentic Chinese restaurant that I think some people expect it to be. They offer a variety of food including Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese dishes. Overall, the food is very good and everything I've tried has been very flavorful. I particularly like the potato beef. At first I was skeptical in thinking that the combination of potatoes and beef would go well together in an Asian dish, but the combination is actually really good and has tons of flavor! Another dish I like is the eggplant tofu. The eggplant is always very tender and cooked in a yummy garlic sauce. I can actually do without the tofu in this dish. I'm not a big fan of the fried tofu... it can sometimes get too tough for me. Despite the tofu, I always have to get this dish for the wonderful eggplant. I usually get my food to go, but sometimes I do enjoy dining in. The restaurant itself has very nice modern Asian decor and is a pleasant place to enjoy your meal. The prices are a bit higher than a typical Asian restaurant. Most of the main dishes range from around $10-17 and the soups and salads are a bit less. I think for the quality of food you get, the prices are well worth it. I'd rather pay a little more for good food than pay a cheap sum of money for greasy, mediocre Chinese takeout.
(4)
mikaela g.
One word - DELICIOUS! Finally, I've found a place that does a delicious pork fried rice & beef chow fun! Also, their pork buns are pretty good, but expensive compared to Dim Sum King down the street.
(5)
Judi M.
This is a great place to take a small group for lunch or dinner. I've been to Ginger Cafe several times for lunch and dinner and have never been disappointed. The people I've taken there have also loved the food and the ambiance. The decor is beautiful and really ties in all the different asian influences. I'm usually wary of asian fusion places. I think that you should stick to one cuisine and perfect that. But with Ginger Cafe, the concept works very well. The menu has a variety of dishes that most people are familiar with (curries, noodles, dim sum, dessert). They tap into Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Indian cuisines. The other great thing is that they can turn any of the dishes vegetarian which is a great plus since my lunch buddy is a vegetarian. They have a great variety of appetizers, but the prices are a bit steep for the portion size. They family dinner options which work awesome with groups of 3 - 5 since they have a variety of main and side dishes as well as desserts. The plus side of having such a varied menu is that no matter what you're craving, there will be something on the menu to satisfy it. My personal favorite is the Thai Curry Chicken. All I need is a bowl of this and some white rice and I'm set. The curry is spiced with just enough bite so that it's not bland, but not too spicy that it brings tears to your eyes. The other reason that I come to Ginger Cafe is for the desserts. I love their fried bananas with ice cream. Just don't try to eat it alone! It was definitely made to be shared since it has 5 scoops of ice cream and 2 fried bananas. After a filling meal of the curry and rice, I have just enough space to squeeze in a few bites of the fried bananas before I call it a night.
(4)
Alex C.
Not having gone out to dinner with the parents for awhile, my dad decided that tonight would be a good night since I happened to have today off of work (e-mail doesn't count I guess). He made the suggestion that we come try Ginger Cafe based upon the recommendation of a friend, so off we went. From the outside, this place has big green neon signs which allows it to stand out at night much better than its competitors. On the inside, it is very clean, quiet, and nicely designed. However I did find the center seating to be a little weird in that there was a big round couch with tables surrounding it. Which meant that if you were sitting there, you would literally be sitting next to a complete stranger if there was someone else at the table besides you. But because the place was virtually deserted on a Wednesday evening, we were not seated there. =) Most of the items on their menu appeared to be of the spicy variety and unfortunately, my mom was not a fan of spicy food which would have normally excluded a good 90% of what was on the menu. However, the waitress informed us that we could choose have any of the dishes prepared without peppers if we didn't want our food to be spicy. We started off the night with some Soft Shell Crab fresh rolls. Which consisted of fried soft shell crab, green leaves, bean sprouts, mint and rice noodles wrapped in rice paper. Despite the fact that it came served cut into pieces, each piece still held together very well. And when combined with the delicious sauce that it was served with, it was definitely pretty darn good. For the main course we decided to share a plate of beef fried rice and Shanghai Street chow fun. The plates were each very big and the two dishes together were easily big enough to feed all three of us. Although not the best fried rice/chow fun I've ever had, it was fairly tasty even by my parents' harsh standards. As a side dish we ordered the eggplant tofu seared in garlic sauce. Despite it being a little too much soy sauce used for my mom's liking, I found the tofu was very fresh and stir fried to perfection. The service was always very friendly and attentive. Although not an overall exceptionally memorable experience, I thought this place was A-OK! However I probably won't be back simply because of how far away it is from where I live.
(3)
Seong P.
I got the shrimp spring roll and the soft shell crab salad with extra lettuce and the sauce on the side. Both were tasty but I thought the proportions of the crab salad were off. Even with the extra lettuce, there was an overabundance of noodles and not enough lettuce. The crab portion was fine though. I'd eat here again if someone else suggested it.
(3)
Vivian A.
My friends and I come here quite often. We usually get a dim sum as a starter but we always end up getting the Soft Shell Crab salad. It's so bomb! I order mine with extra lettuce and the sauce on the side (it can get a bit runny in my opinion). The salad is layered with rice noodles on the bottom, romaine lettuce, and then a perfectly friend soft shell crab on top. Try it! You'll love it!
(4)
Donna Y.
I have booked marked this place since Connie has been here and I always pass by but never got a chance to stop in. Finally I decided last night to have dinner here. It was not busy at all and the space for the restaurant is really nice, I especially like the high ceiling which does make the place look bigger. The decor is modern with Asian flare. Now on to the food. Veggie Dumplings - These was okay, I think since they serve Dim Sum all day its been sitting in the steamer for to long cuz the wrapper skin was kinda mushy. The filling is okay. Porcupine Custard Buns - I love these and they are so cute. They are perfectly crunch on the outside but nice soft inside. Plus the custard is just sweet enough but not overly. Vegetarian Chicken Crispy Tofu - This was a surprised and not bad at all. The tofu is like Agadashi tofu texture and the Veggie Chicken was good. Sometimes the Veggie Chicken is not great and doesn't taste so good. I think the sauce tied everything well together. Plus this dish was huge. Came with 16 pieces and I only ate half. I say don't order the white rice, it was hard was not good. Overall dinner was nice and they have a bar and desserts too. I was just to full after everything else to try anything more, but I will keep this place in mind. Service was great but then again it was not busy.
(4)
Belinda O.
Met up with a friend for a weekday lunch. It was located close to his office in Sunnyvale and it was a new place to try out. Hubby went with and here's what we all got. HK pan fried noodle - I decided to order off the regular menu. The pan fried noodles were pretty crispy around the edges, but most of it quickly got soggy because there was so much gravy. The toppings included veggies, shrimp, calamari, shredded pieces of chicken, etc. Pretty tasty, a little less gravy and it would have been perfect! Potato beef (lunch special) - the hubby ordered this one and it came with a bowl of soup and a choice of white or fried rice. The soup was yummy. This definitely seems like a "fusion" dish since you don't usually find potatoes in a Chinese dish, much less in a saute, but it was tasty and the hubby cleaned his plate! Overall - I'd probably go back. There are enough interesting sounding items to try out. It's a bit on the pricey side (maybe $2-3 more per dish than I'd like to spend), but it's a nice treat if you're having a tough day or week.
(3)
Nadia L.
Although I didn't have a chance to try their food at PLEY despite the great comments I heard from those around me, I went for lunch on a Sunday and was quite impressed. Food - Tamarind Seafood Soup- Delicious with a good amount of tangy/spicy. The fish in soup was soft and very good - Lobster Dumpling- Interesting, though I'm not sure I'm a fan of the corn in there - Crispy tofu in a mandarin sauce- For me, one can never go wrong with fried tofu and the sauce served with this dish really made it stand out - Sea Bass served with a soy sauce and green onions- Fish was perfectly cooked - Crispy noodles with seafood- perfect dish to have on the first day of CNY - Tamarind prawns- prawns have to be one of my favorite things to eat and these were huge and tasty. Would definitely order this dish again Dessert: Custard porcupine- so cute and pretty tasty too. I'm not normally a fan of custard type desserts, but this one was good especially fresh out of the oven. Great restaurant and I'd go back to try more of their food.
(4)
christina c.
1 star for the food, 5 stars for the service, thanks to Lauren. I weight the food at a restaurant more than service so I've given an overall score of 2 stars. Oh the decor is beautiful tho! I was impressed. My hubby and I have wanted to come visit here for a while since sampling some of their delicious food at the Yelp event at the beginning of the year. We ordered 3 different dishes and the tasting got progressively worse. We were completely shocked because we had loved their food so much before! We tried their fried crab puffs and although the filling was okay, the outside was not fried very well and soggy except for the very edges of the wrapper. Then we tried the soup that all the Yelpers on here were raving about, the Tamarind Seafood soup. We didn't even want to finish it but it was at least edible. What wasn't edible to us was the mango chicken. It was very strange for it to be in a creamy coconut sauce. We tried to eat it because we felt like we were wasting money but we could barely touch it. We really wanted to come back to try the King Crab legs but after this overall experience I don't see us coming back. It might have been a sign in the beginning but we were the only Asian diners at the restaurant!
(2)
Jamie M.
To say that this place is mediocre would be generous. First off, service wasn't really there and the few times we did have service, they barely said a few words before leaving to the next table. In fact, when we first arrived, it took them at least 15 minutes to seat us. Apparently, there were no seats. If that was the case, why do I see two open tables? After ordering, I thought the food would at least be good. Nope, that wasn't the case. The Siu Mai tasted like it was all wonton and the lobster dumplings lacked lobster, just tasted like corn.The Saigon Street Chow Fun tasted like it came from TK Noodle. Actually, TK Noodle's Chow Fun is better. The Satay Three Delights Sizzling had a funky taste throughout. To make things worse, it had a weird after taste that seemed to not go away. The most disappointing item however was the filet mignon luc lac. For $24, I'm expecting something pretty damn good. Wrong! First, we ordered the filet mignon medium, but it's cooked well done. Second, this did not taste like filet mignon. Instead, it tasted like bistek (Filipino dish). I love eating bistek, but if I wanted bistek I would eat my mom's version of it at home. In conclusion, this place sucks and if I ever am in the area again, I'm going to Smoothie King.
(1)
Angie I.
I think this restaurant boasts the best lettuce wraps i have found (much better than PF Changs in my opinion). Every time I come, I am tempted by the various appetizers, and I'm always glad to have tried them. Although very sticky (!) the potstickers are very tastey. I only wish this restaurant were able to seat more people!
(5)
Joanne P.
My daughter (who is almost 4) and I went here yesterday for lunch. My husband is a chef from the CIA and I am convinced my daughter has inherited his palate. So, I look to her for her much valued opinion. =) To Drink: Fresh Squeezed Strawberry Lemonade: My daughter was in heaven. She absolutely loved it and said it was "a little bit sour but sweet like sugar" I personally thought it to be too sweet, perhaps that is why she liked it. Thai Iced Tea: creamy, smooth, right balance of black tea and milk. Thia iced tea is very sweet, and this one wasn't too overwhelming. To eat: Cream Cheese Crab Puffs: Fried to a delicious crisp but not too greasy. Crispy when you bite into it and nice creamy goodness on the inside. There is a generous amount of the imitation crab and the filling though creamy is also chunky. I happen to prefer it this way. The green onions are large and really fresh. Porcupine Custard Buns: Adorable! They look like cute little porcupines. My daughter had no problem biting right into these little suckers. She didn't care for the outside at all. In fact, she spit it out. So, she ripped them in half and ate the custard. I enjoyed the crispy little critters. Wish there would have been a little more custard, though. Pad Thai: A very generous amount served with at least 6 succulent shrimp (cleaned) when normally I am used to 3 or 4 from other places. The chopped peanuts were extra crunchy. I asked the waitress if they were fried and she didn't know. =( The noddles were cooked perfectly, and there was a perfect balance of sweet, savory and spicy. My daughter enjoyed the shrimp while I enjoyed the chicken and noodle part. Throughout the dish you got a kick of fresh lime which I found to be interesting because I didn't add any lime juice. I enjoyed this very much =) My daughter said "the shrimp were too big" I was glad they were not the little skimpy flavorless ones! For dessert: cassava cake: my daughter was set on ordering this before we even placed our drink ordered. So, I got this to go and we ate it for dessert after dinner. Nice fine pieces of cassava. I know with cassava it takes a long time to grate it. So, I appreciate the work that went into making this dessert nice and smooth. There was a richness to it that I have not tasted with the Filipino style cassava cake. It was a little heavy so limit yourself to a couple bites. Goes great with Vanilla tea. I certainly will be going back with my hubby so we can enjoy the spicy more sophisticated dishes.
(4)
Tony L.
I decided to come here because I was tired of eating at PF Changs. I was a bit disappointed with this location because it seemed like they copied PF Changs. I went to the Gilroy location before and it was much better. Pros: It's not as busy and you will find parking here. Lunch specials are decently priced Cons: Not as authentic as their Gilroy location. It seemed more "PF chang"ish. My final verdict would be to try it if you are craving chinese food and don't want to wait in the PF Changs line.
(3)
Eugene F.
I've driven by this place numerous times and finally had lunch today with my work aunties and work cousin. (Long story, but their my lunch buddies) We arrived on a Friday afternoon before the lunch rush made its way through. There was plenty of parking available since it was still early. The restaurant has really high ceilings and is really aesthetically appealing. Almost a PF Chang's but with lots more light, which is always nice, in my opinion. I ordered the ginger beef with egg fried rice. Portion-wise there was quite a bit, but it looked like they just opened a can of bamboo shoots, put some sauce in, and added some pre-cooked beef in it. There were hints of ginger in the dish, but not all that much. Service was ok, but after we received our food, we really never got much attention from the server beyond giving us the check which docks some stars from the total. Not that it mattered too much, but they also screwed up on my auntie's order. She ordered steamed rice with her entree rather than the fried rice, and came out with the fried rice anyway. Decent place that I would return to just to try the other dishes on the menu. Dim sum seemed pricier than what I'd seen at other places, so I'll probably not come back for that.
(3)
Mark G.
Hard to tell from the nondescript stripmall setting that Ginger Cafe is pretty elegant inside. The ceilings are very high, and it looks like a very talented designer put together the color schemes, furniture, etc. Nice atmosphere. The food is solid--the Mongolian Beef was pretty good and the Kung Pao chicken was so-so. Better than the faux Indo-Chinese crap you find at Elephant Bar or P.F. Chang's. It was hard to rate our service (server was quick and attentive) as we were eating a VERY early dinner and the place was nearly empty. I agree with the other reviews that the pedestrian cuisine doesn't really match the chic atmosphere, but the food isn't bad at all. Good place for a date or a meal with friends.
(4)
KatsuCat D.
The sweet sour dish I ordered was too peppery (which took away from the taste). I'm not a big pepper fan so I didn't enjoy it as much. However, I will give them some credit for creativity. They had this dim sum dish (tasted like a fried donut with custard - yummm), that looked like sonic the hedgehog ( I think its a porcupine). It was fun to eat it. :)
(3)
Chad S.
My coworker suggested this place for lunch with our business partners. From the name of the restaurant I was thinking some kind of American food. By the time I figured out it's Chinese fusion, we were already on the way and too late for me to back out of it. Being a Chinese, anything non authentic is likely a disappointment to me, and this place is no exception. I ordered the XO sauce fried rice, thinking it a safe bet. What can really go wrong with that, right? Well, the rice was too soggy for fried rice, and the flavor was quite lackluster. They do give you a huge portion for ~$12 + tax & tips. Even with the sub par experience, I still consider my lucky after seeing the orange chicken that my coworker ordered. The waiter also messed up one of the orders, so one of us didn't get started till we almost finished.
(2)
Swati L.
I've grown up eating "american-style" chinese, and this is up there with the best of them. If I could I would get delivery from only this place. Alas I live to far to come frequently and they don't deliver. The food was delicious, the service was great (very friendly waitstaff, timely bringing out the food and good experience overall.) The combo fried rice was the bomb, lots of chunks of lean meat and shrimp with a delicious smoky, eggy flavor throughout, de-lish. I also enjoyed the pecan prawns, and the dry-sauteed greenbeans with chicken. My favorite was the asparagus beef, which though not as crispy as PF Chang's Mongolian beef had a similar sweet, savory and spicy flavor. Decor was nice and I liked that I didn't feel like we were trying to have dinner in a nightclub (the comparison to PF Chang's is inevitable, it's exactly across the street.) My family forgoes PF Chang's and only goes to Ginger Cafe now for all these reasons.
(5)
R M.
Before I start, I want to say that we came here on a Thursday night and the place was relatively empty -- so, we did not experience the bad/slow service that other people had yelped about. This rating is based solely on the food. We ordered some dim-sum and some spring rolls. To be honest, there are lots of great places to get great dim-sum in the bay area -- this place really can't compare to those. But, I will say that the dim-sum was decent (at least they had my favorite soup dumplings!). The spring rolls were really good. All in all, this was a pretty decent place -- also, it is near Rooster T. Feathers, so good place to get some dinner before a show.
(4)
Kid F.
Visited here to use a $20 Opentable check, and was pleasantly surprised at the tasty food. They have an extensive menu that covers a mash-up of different Asian cuisines like Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. We had the dinner for two (about $30-40 or thereabouts, depending on the level you pick). The choice we had included an appetizer, chicken, beef or pork dish, rice, and a dessert. There were several choices for each category; we ended up with the following: Appetizer: crab puffs (4 fried dough triangles stuffed with crab, cream cheese & green onions), served with a sweet sauce. These were very tasty but most definitely were super packed with calories. I would eat them again, but not regularly. Rice: egg fried rice, served in individual bowls for each person. They heaped it into a round dome towering over each bowl, so there was plenty enough for the meal. It was decent - rice, peas, egg (& onion?) - nothing spectacular, but for rice you want kind of a backdrop for the rest of the meal, not something that's going to compete flavor-wise. Not sure what others were talking about with it being greasy; ours was fine, not greasy & it tasted good. 1st entree: Mango chicken, which had nice tender white chicken pieces in a mild coconut sauce and chunks of fresh mango. The mango was nice and sweet, not too tart, and complemented the chicken nicely. The overall flavor seemed more like a Thai dish with the sweeter coconut sauce. Would order this again. 2nd entree: Mongolian beef. So good! I want this again, just two days after having eaten there. The beef was very tender and packed full of flavor (but not salty); they put just enough green onions in there to balance the flavor-packed punch of the meat. It was some of the better Mongolian beef I've had (and I'm half-Chinese, grew up with Chinese food) - would definitely order this again. Dessert: a crepe type hot pastry with gooey freshly cooked banana on the inside, served with whipped cream and split between two people. Surprisingly good! Asian restaurants tend not to do desserts all to well, but they have several choices for dessert on the menu here that look really good. We chose this one after asking the waitress for suggestions, and were not disappointed. I would order this again too - it made us both really happy to eat and we contemplated getting another, even though we were both stuffed to the gills. Drinks: jasmine hot tea (there are several teas to choose from if you ask), and I had a Blue Hawaii cocktail which was much more tropical than I anticipated, but was very good (and very blue). Their wine menu is decent and their cocktail drink list is extensive, so if you want some booze with your meal, they can definitely set you up with that. Overall, I really like this restaurant: the food is full of flavor, their drink menu is good, and the service was solid (our waitress filled our waters, asked if everything was okay, and basically checked in with us regularly throughout the entire meal). Would love to go back to try some of their dim sum and get more of that Mongolian beef (yum)!
(4)
Sapna K.
This was our first time at Ginger Cafe. I will strongly recommend it. loved the food. Especially Tofu with Mandarin Sauce. The portion sizes are very good and so is the ambience. Reminded me of the excellent Chinese food in India....
(5)
Beini Q.
I haven't actually had there entrees, only dim sum-which is great! It's cooked to order, fresh and good quality. I am surprised that other people say their dim sum is not good, I have had dim sum at many places in the South Bay, San Francisco, in Boston, and in China also! I also like to go to their location in Gilroy by the Outlets when I go shopping. Great fresh dim sum for a fair price!
(4)
Jasmine L.
Ginger Cafe has a nice atmosphere with its high ceilings, interesting decorations and good ambiance. I think the glamor stops there. Dishes seemed overpriced. The food didn't taste authentic. It was hard to find someone that even knew how to speak Chinese. This is a place where you would be peeking into the "Chinese" restaurant and not finding many Chinese people. BAD SIGN for those who want good Chinese food. One of the pros of coming here to dine was that they had a lot of vegetarian dishes. I'm not sure how a vegetarian thinks of it though, because they had things like vegetarian chicken and vegetarian duck. So, are you trying to introduce the vegetarian into eating meat? Or are you just rubbing it in that they have to eat the fake stuff? Or maybe vegetarian people LIKE to eat the soy products. And if you're just looking for vegetarian meats as a healthy meal substitute, I've had better than Ginger Cafe.
(2)
Kitty K.
I got the Basil Chicken, which was ok. The only thing I really like from this dish was the bamboo shoots (I mean, you can hardly mess that up). The flavors were quite mediocre and not very "wowing." What I did actually enjoy from here was the porcupine custard buns. They were the CUTEST food items I have ever seen! The little eyes from black sesame seeds and the custard having the right amount of sweetness. I'd go back for them as dessert (if I was in the area)!
(3)
Ping N.
Mediocre food. Nice ambiance. You totally wouldn't expect the decor from looking at the outside and its location in a strip mall. Although I agree with one review that it looks like PF Chang in the inside, at least it's less tacky than PF Chang. But the food was nothing to shout about. It was pretty bland and generally inoffensive but nothing memorable too.
(2)
Peter T.
This restaurant is not good. Too much oil is used leaving the food very greasy and heavy. We had a lobster tail dish that was topped of with cheese. Cheese at an Asian restaurant? Chinese or Vietnamese food is never served with any cheese. The tofu dishes were bland with no flavor whatsoever. The only thing that was edible was the dim sum sesame balls and even then you could find better at dozens of other places. For the price we paid for dinner and the quality of food given it was highway robbery. Won't be going back there.
(1)
Diana M.
This is one of my favorite places, I really like the Potato Beef and also the Mongolian Beef, There cream cheese crab puff are to die for!!! =)
(5)
Ana C.
I work close by so i often find myself having lunch here... The food is great, some of the most popular and my favorite dishes are Mongolian bee, orange chicken, mandarin tofu and the potato beef.. They also have a limited dim sum menu, the pork buns and fried dumplings are very good. Their fried banana with Ice creams is delicious... The decor of this restaurant is gorgeous the prices are moderate but unfortunately their service could be better.
(4)
Thao T.
This place had just opened recently and my mom wanted to go, so she and my sister went for lunch over the weekend. I wasn't really sure what panasian food constituted, but the menu was a mix of vietnamese and chinese food. From the outside, the place is not too impressive, but as soon as you step inside, it feels like a place at santana row. The decor was really trendy and the color scheme was a soothing dark red which made the atmosphere more cozy. The chairs were also really comfy! We had some dim sum to share (hargow and shrimp puffs) which were really tasty bc they had whole shrimps inside and it was really good. We ordered two lunch specials cashew chicken and shrimp with veggies that came with rice and tom yum soup (watch out, its spicy!) and a plate of hong kong pan fried noodles. The food was good, and plenty for three people. The service was good too =)
(4)
Sagar A.
I went for Lunch with my colleagues, they had special lunch entrees, nothing special about the place. Food was OK, not as good as the reviews say about it :(
(3)
Michael A.
Love the Kung Pao chicken. I here the other items on the menu are great, but I've been sticking to what worked the first time. Parking is sometimes tough at lunch, but after 1:00 you can get in and out.
(4)
John S.
Today was my second time coming here, so I figured I should get around to writing a review. For starters, Ginger Cafe is appropriately named as it has a nice, cozy cafe feel to it, but also some accents that makes it feel like a trendier restaurant. The seating arrangement is kinda neat as it goes in a circular pattern with a booth in the center. The decor makes me think the decorator made one stop at Crate and Barrel and nabbed a bunch of Asian looking pieces so that it's pretty apparent that, yep, you're in an Asian eatery (if you didn't know from the food choices.) The first trip I made based on a search result for local brunch places. I tried the Hot and Sour soup, dim sum sampler set, and the Mongolian beef. All dishes were very good, but especially the dim sum assortment of various crab and shrimp dumplings, puffs, and wontons. Also served in the sampler were some very fluffy and delicious pork buns. The sampler came out fresh and hot--definitely a must to try. The Mongolian beef was fairly spicy--I think it was rated 2 chili peppers on the menu. Spicy but not too spicy, just enough for you to enjoy the taste. The second trip I just had a lunch of Fried Tofu in Mandarin sauce. Soup of the Day was egg and corn chowder. I started off with a sampler of egg rolls. Both dishes were fresh and understated--which is fine by me. Better fresh and understated than oily and too much sauce. Overall impression is that the food tastes pretty fresh without being too greasy (fried eggrolls will naturally be a little oily--but they managed to still taste crisp and fresh.) The flavors are pretty solid, if not a bit mellow to appeal to a wider audience. Spicy menu items are suitably marked while still providing a satisfying heat. Service both times has been remarkable. Very attentive and quick. Strengths--Service and Dim Sum/lunch menu Weakness--prices are kinda high, but I feel they are okay for the quality of the food. I will definitely be coming back here to sample their other dishes.
(4)
Dele P.
Yep, I still love this place. We went there last night and my partner's new favorite dish is the asparagus beef. It is totally delish. She loves the hot-n-sour soup which I think is just okay, but I love their sizzling rice soup which she thinks is just okay. So it's really up to you. The chicken chow mein rocks too. I'm not really a dim sum chick so I haven't done that whole dealio. Anywho, just GO. The staff there, too, is worth going for. Really awesome people.
(5)
Janet K.
Tried this place for a friend's birthday and the majority of the food was delicious. Appetizers: calamari and shrimp on fried crackers-sauce was light but very tasty and the calamari was fresh. Soft shell crab spring roll-again very tasty and fresh, they didn't skimp on the crab either. Dim sum-just your average dim sum, nothing too special. Entrees: Filet mignon luc lac-the beef melts in your mouth and the seasonings on it seem so simple but pair very well with the meat. Sea bass-MY FAVORITE, the fish was super fresh and had a buttery texture, soy sauce based sauce that was light but very tasty and clean. Sauteed king crabs-they were just ok, nothing too special. Dessert was good too-fried bananas and pina colada ice cream mmm...
(5)
Raj G.
Nice ambience and good food. Must try.
(4)
Shannon w.
This is my restaurant of choice when it comes to Asian food!! My favorites are the crispy shrimp puffs and the crab puffs... Sooooo YUMMY!! When they first opened their food wasn't that great but this past year has proved to be better. Their chicken chow mein isn't as greasy as other restaurants and their food over all isn't as over cooked as P.F. chang's tends to be. It's amazing for dine in because most people take their food to go and it's quiet enough to have a conversation without yelling or hearing the clanking of dishes. My family eats here at least three times a month, we take it to go and it's still as phenomenal as it is when eaten in the restaurant.
(5)
Max K.
A ho-hum Asian Fusion restaurant with some limited dim sum selections and mediocre chow mein. The highlight of the menu is the custard-filled dumplings that look like hedgehogs; I think it's the only item that the Ginger Cafe does that Loon Wah doesn't do better.
(2)
Lisa K.
I got take out here on Monday. Potato Beef is a winner! I will come back here just for that. Also ordered the chili chicken. It was a little too spicy for me. But I'm not a huge chili fan. The dim sum sampler was just okay. I didn't get to eat the bbq pork bun (husband ate both while I wasn't paying attention). But the rest was just average. Inside was much better than expected. It's a little pricey but you get a ton of food. One main dish and rice would have been enough for the two of us and lunch the next day.
(3)
Tracey Lee D.
Went here with CNP and more family members before out jaunt to Rooster T Feathers, which is RIGHT down the street. I got their pomegranate mojito, and CNP got the pineapple mojito. Both were yum-yum-yummy. There were 5 of us, and since they all enjoy beef and seafood, they ordered a variety of dishes with those key ingredients, and I got the vegetable fried rice and Chinese Chicken Salad (which I always have to try to see if I can find something better than Tao Tao's, which is the best ever). The fried rice was fine, not the best, but not the worst. The salad was interesting. The chicken was a breast of chicken, cut in strips and laid on the top, as opposed to shredded into the salad. The chicken was amazingly good. I don't know what sort of seasoning they used, but it was delicate and yummy. It totally wasn't what I was expecting the salad to be, but it was good, nonetheless. They have a whole vegetarian section of the menu, which I thought was great. My family enjoyed their food, as well.
(4)
Jamie G.
Delicious! The potstickers were amazing (my husband is picky and he loved them too). He got chili chicken and I got orange chicken and when you combine the two it is sooo good. We went on a weeknight and it was quiet and intimate.
(5)
Abe L.
Had lunch with with Mom and Sister there for the first time. Do not know why I have not eaten there sooner. The food was incredible! We went there expecting to eat Dim-Sum, but got quite a treat regarding the menu. We just started ordering hoping for the best. We ended up ordering seconds on several of the dishes. The curry wonton was amazing as well as the Mu-Shu roll. What we ate appeared to be hand made, and that was confirmed by the waitress. I'll be taking my lover there soon for a great roll.
(4)
Jacques H.
This is our favorite for Chinese food and dim sum. This isn't the typical fare, its a fusion of different flavors. Take a look at the menu online before you go, and try something new, you will not be disappointed. The service is fast and the decor is upscale. My daughter loves the Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf. We have the Cream Cheese Crab Puffs, Basil Chicken, Chinese Sausage Papaya Salad again and again, and the standards like Pot Stickers and Wor Wonton Soup are great too.
(5)
Janice C.
The food is exceptional and service is excellent! Try their pork leg dish, it's VERY good. They also have dim sum throughout the day. If you're in the area, definitely should swing by and give it a try!
(5)
patti S.
I realy don't want to give a bad review, but DON"T go to this restaurant. The food was just terrible!! I have been to Ginger Cafe before but it was a while back. Given we now have a young baby, my husband and I decided to do take out last weekend. I called in advance and order 5 dishes. blue crab dumpling chicken lettuce wrap garlic noodle garlic shrimp pei pa tofu The total came to $65, which was a bit pricey. They told me it will be about 15 minutes. We live right in Sunnyvale (about 5 minutes away), so my husband headed over after 15 minutes. Unfortunately they told him after arriving that he had to wait for another 25 minutes since one of the dishes takes a long time to make (Pei Pa Tofu),which they did NOT inform me when I called in the order. On top of it, after he left, they called and told him they forgot to add the dumplings, so my husband had to drive back to pick it up. So, this is not the worst part yet. When we tasted the food, it was downride horrible. The only good dish was the chicken lettuce wrap (a little on the oily side, but at least tasty). The blue crab dumpling was mediocre and only 3 pieces. The garlic noodle was just a mess, watery, soggy, and tasteless. There was no taste of garlic, nor any decent flavor you would imagine which garlic noodle should be (my guideline is garlic noodle from Xanh, Tamarind, and Straits). The garlic shrimp wasn't much better. It was just batter fried shrimp tossed in oily sauce. The worse is yet to come. When we open the Pei Pa Tofu, we had NO IDEA what it was suppose to be. It was just a plate full of hard, batter fried masses with no tofu, and little pieces of unrecognizable vegetables. Needless to say, the dish tasted awful. We just felt that it wasn't difficult to make the dish, but the kitchen had absolutely NO idea how to make the dish and that's why it took so long. So, we are definitely not going back again. And I hope this help other Yelpers when making dining choices as well.
(2)
Gina H.
Went there for dinner and the interior was nice and modern. They have great service! They were prompt in drinks, food, deserts refill everything. The food was pretty good. I loved that they have this 2 person menu where you can choose ur appetizer, rice, 2 main course and desert for one price from $32-$40. ordered a drink from the bar... ehh its soso... but the price is really good. $4.95-$7.95 for a drink. Im overall happy with my experience and will go again.
(5)
Dena D.
The service was great here but unfortunately the food wasn't. We got the lemongrass chicken which tasted like pure ginger (and I like me some ginger usually but not when it tastes like you're eating the actual root). We also got the thai vegetarian duck, which was really really weird tasting, had a note of sourdough taste in it but it was supposed to be imitation duck. Too bad too because we live so close to this place, but we won't be coming back.
(1)
Umme Z.
the food was mediocre, the water glass smelt of fish (eew, ). i ordered the mongolian beef it was extra salty and extra chewy, the kung pao chicken was ok. but it is not an experience i would repeat. the ambience was good but the for the food i would never go back.
(2)
Christine S.
Ehhh. It is what it is.. 3 stars=an A-Okay... The location was convienient, the portions were fair, the inside of the restaurant was gorgeous. The food was OKAY, the mongolian beef stood out, but it didn't quite hit the spot. It's definitely a nice place to have a drink after work, but i can think of better places to eat.
(3)
Lance K.
where are the redheads? I keep driving by this place. finally I stopped. I was in the mood for some dim sum. I waited. looked around. nice tall ceilings. and waited. is that guy supposed to be parked in the handicap spot? waited. whoa that beefy potato dish looks kinda good. still waiting. hey I never saw a chinese dish with potatoes. and finally they brought my order. oh wait they forgot one order. I ate. it was ok...a little on the salty side. waited again. ok I'll take the check. waited. pay the check. I'll take the rest to go.
(3)
Kit E.
We were searching for a restaurant to eat at along the way to Babies R Us in Sunnyvale and we saw a big sign for Ginger Cafe. We thought it must be some sort of southeast asia fusion cuisine, so I said let's go there. Well, I got more hesitant as we turned into the parking lot and found that it was in this mall complex with not much else around. We were pleasantly surprised with our meal. Quite a lot of food for the price we paid, but we did stick with what we deemed to be "safe". I ordered the lunch special garlic eggplant and my husband ordered the orange chicken. He said the chicken was pretty moist and I enjoyed the garlicky taste of my eggplant. We noticed that they served dim sum as well, we knew enough to stay away from that!!! Stick to the basics and you'll do fine!
(3)
Julie W.
I've driven by this place for years now and was mildly curious, but finally tried it out last night for a mom's night out dinner. I was surprised at how chic the interior was (belying the strip mall exterior), the food was delicious, and the service was generally good. I also liked that it was quiet, and plan on returning.
(4)
Hoa Q.
The artistic asian decor and well presented expensive food makes this place perfect for a date--and you can to hear yourself think. You have to go in expecting to eat Cheesecake Factory kind of food. You'll be sorely disappointed if you're expecting hole-in-the-wall authentic food. We ordered Fongsa Soft-Shell Crab, Tamarind Jumbo Prawn, Lamb with Cumin, Eggplant Tofu, Chowmein, and Egg Roll. The dishes were very exotic and a bit spicy except for the Egg Roll and the Chowmein, which was a bit salty. The portions were decent, too. My favorite was the Fongsa Soft-Shell Crab. They have a kid's menu that doesn't involve chicken fingers or mac & cheese. Despite the number of dishes we ordered, all came out in a timely manner. Don't forget to order steamed rice!
(5)
Runip G.
Its very rare for a reasonably priced lunch place to have such a nice decor , service and impressive food. A friend and I went there and both of us loved the food. He tried the good old "Eggplant in garlic sauce" and even that was one of the best he ever ate. I tried something new -- "3 flavor Vegetarian Chicken" and it was done very very well. They had a very creative appetizer, a steamed vegetarian roll which was the best I ever tried. Definitely 5 stars in terms of value!
(5)
M C.
Great food! Me and my husband come here very often like 7-8 times a year. We tried all menus and we love each one of them. Never disappointed. Hoping the owmer enroll in the 'American Advantage Program' so I can benefit from dining as I will earn miles and acrrue cashback.
(5)
BH R.
Came here based on other wonderful Yelp reviews. The decor is nice, but the food is well, marginal. The portions were tiny, taste generic, texture oily and overall service sub-par. For example, the pad thai on the menu came with egg, shrimp etc. And being vegetarian we requested that they withhold the eggs, shrimp, chicken and the waitress said that would be couple of dollars extra (!! for withholding, not adding). I said ok. Then we ordered the minced vegetables in lettuce cups (entree), we got exactly 4 pieces of ice-berg lettuce. So I requested for couple more leaves :) The waitress once again said, umm, that would be couple dollars more. (Again, I said ok, sure) I am not sure what was the point of nickle-and-diming especially when pad-thai costs $11. In any case, even after we made the request to withhold the eggs, they added eggs to our dish. In short, save your money drive just a couple of miles north to el camino and shoreline -- go to Garden Fresh. You will get the same/similar dishes for 60% cost and 5% of the attitude.
(1)
Mikey L.
Food is was pretty decent and pricing was fair. I had the beef cubes and wasn't too impressed. What was cool is that they also serve dim sum from a menu, so I ordered some things from there. The interior is really nice and staff is extremely friendly. Plus there were come cute waitresses too. =)
(4)
Karen O.
First time visit for lunch today... the interior reminds me of a minature version of PF Changs with tall ceilings and modern decor. They have a large lunch special menu, along with a separate one for Dim Sum, appetizers and other a combo of Malaysian, Vietnamese and Chinese.. I tried one of the lunch specials...Malaysian Mango Chicken. I tell you this was so good but not a low calorie dish. It did have very lean white meat slices but the sauce which was so yummy had a coconut flavor with fresh basil and a little kick to it..and big chunks of mango! I could only eat half as the portion size was huge, not to mention the richness.. It came with hot and sour soup..one of the best I've had in a while. I liked the broth because it wasn't all thick and gummy.. It was clearer with lot of fresh veggies and it was very spicy...sure opens up your sinus'! So all that and a thai ice tea and my check was 10.95. I can't wait to go back and try out their other dishes...oh, and they have a full bar there too..
(4)
Channon W.
Gorgeous place - I love how hip the inside is decorated. I specifically came here for dim sum. Each dish is approx $3 - $4...a little bit oily but still very good. The service is fast and friendly AND IT'S CLEAN!! (which is rare for asian restuarants). I love finding new spots!
(4)
alexia c.
Went here for the lunch special after reading some of the reviews. The atmosphere was nice. Other than that ehh not so great. The asparagus beef was pretty good but nothing that unusual. The mango chicken was pretty much nasty. Slimy chicken overpowered by coconut. The service was not very attentive even though the place was not busy at all. Very slow...Would not go back...
(2)
Ram S.
We went here on an impulse as we were out of new places to eat. The red light at the intersection of Mathilda and Elcamino took long enough for us to notice this place. A quick check on yelp using my mobile phone and off we were having lunch here. The ambiance is great and so is the food. We were vegetarian for the day and so ended up eating the rolls and tofu. It was great and filling. The food is flavourful and in good quantity. Definitely be back here.
(4)
Jessica F.
The service could have been better. We had to wait a while before our server even came. All the Dim Sum and soup is really good and would really recommend them. I wasn't a huge fan of the other food I've tried.
(4)
yael w.
Following a friend's recommendation, I set down for lunch with an Irish friend. The design is nice, mixing long burgundy curtains used to create an illusion of smaller spaced, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the staff was polite, accommodating, and without the nasal voice so many waitresses think should come with the territory. Our waiter was great; felt free to use his sense of humor (was rewarded too), and his only mistake was to encourage us to order rice, which given that our main courses included potato and noodles, was unnecessary. Also, encouraging the over-weight me to have desert is not very nice. That's as far as the bad things go. The rest was great. We sampled two kinds of dim sum, one with leeks stuffing, the other with shrimps and mint --- both were fresh, tasty and just right. Thai style rolls were served with lettuce, mint leaves and dipping vinegar sauce. Again, fresh, not overly fried or fat. For entrees we had the tuna sashimi cold salad and east meets west dish. The tuna was FRESH, the sprouts, noodles and all the other wonders done just right and the dressing light, yet perfectly able to pull together all the ingredients and create a great (large) dish. While I was having a celebration of tastes in my mouth, across from me set East Meets West. To be honest, if was more like Meat meets Potatoes, under the cover of some Asian herbs. The beef was fresh, the potatoes had never seen a freezer from the inside; they were hand cut and fried. However... please don't get me wrong, I have more than enough friends who'll keep coming back for this dish alone. However, we-two were not extremely happy with the oil that sneaked in. I mean a little too much of it. How can I complete this without mentioning the Tea?! Tea leafs, put in one of those metal-net balls, and dumped into a tea pot, then served with a cup. Request for a refill of the water was well received, and the tea was good. I took the Jasmine, the Irish took the green. No lapricorns sighting were reported. In one word: GO. In two words: Go back!
(5)
will c.
Standard Americanized Chinese food. Feels like a PF Chang's, except with yuppier decor. Ordered the mango chicken, which really should be termed mango curry because it was much creamier than I expected. The chicken was tender, the mango was caramelized sweet, and went well with the rice. Ingredients were fresh, but it just didn't taste like something your mom/grandma/auntie would cook...which is my internal standard of 5stars.
(3)
Gilbert C.
I went here back when it just opened but havent gone back since cus its far from where I live. I thought the interior was nice, not tacky. And they had some nice looking waitresses back then...not sure about now. Pretty good for dates or small groups. You can order items separately but they have a 2 person dinner special (one costing $32 and the other $38)...I dont know why one was pricier than the other as both of them seemed to have the same amount of food offered...just diff foods available. Go figure. Anyway, you pick 1 of 3 items for the appetizer, 1 of 3 items for entree #1 (all diff items from appetizer menu), 1 of 3 items for entree #2 (all diff items from entree #1 menu), either fried rice bowl or steamed rice bowl (small), and 1 of 3 desserts. Drinks arent part of the meal special and are ordered separately. This one appetizer just KICKED ASS! It was some kind of chicken cabbage cup or something....it was chicken cooked with nuts and other stuff and u scoop it up and put it inside pieces of fresh cabbage and you eat it like a roll....SO GOOD! I think chicks on a date would really dig that item. Then most of the entrees scored big on my list...except for the lemongrass chicken as it was a bit too peppery and salty for me. Potatoes and beef, 2 kinds of giant prawn dishes, sea bass and the peking duck with sauce and that wrapping doughy paper were all good ones. I only tasted the fried banana (tho rolled as if it were an egg roll!!!) and ice cream, the other 2 desserts seemed appetizing as well. The food isn't miniature sized like most other high class pompous asian fusion places...I actually had my fill. Not sure if they still have these same exact offerings but thats what I saw back then.
(4)
Steve H.
We ate dinner there three days ago, and the service was excellent. We had the steamed veggie dumplings, tofu with eggplant, orange beef, plus fried rice and steamed rice. The dishes arrived really fast and the portions were good-sized. We loved the food! The ambience is really nice, and it's got way better acoustics than PF Chang's (you can actually hear each other well and don't have to shout). We'll be back often.
(4)
R J.
This restaurant just opened in Sunnyvale recently. (The original restaurant is apparently in Gilroy.) While it was under construction, I expected it to be some sort of snack or tea-oriented place, but it turns out to be a more ambitious venture. There is a full menu, bar, wait service, and the decor and prices are not what I would classify as discount. The menus are online. I classified its cuisine as "Asian Fusion," but it's not really Fusion in the sense of mixing Asian and non-Asian styles. Rather, the menu is a hodgepodge of dishes from various Asian cuisines, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Thai. I arrived at about 3:00 p.m. for a late lunch. There were no hours posted, but the Gilroy location is open all day, so maybe this one will be also. The lunch menu has some dim sum items, appetizers, and typical Chinese-restaurant style specials that come with rice and soup. I ordered the "Vietnamese Shrimp Fresh Roll" as an appetizer and the "Vietnamese Lemon Grass Chicken" from the dinner menu. The shrimp rolls were fresh enough, but didn't contain enough shrimp to impart any flavor. I wouldn't bother ordering them again. The large-portion chicken dish had a decent flavor, but was clearly heavily fried and swimming in oil. I've had less greasy versions of this dish with as good or better flavor. I also wouldn't order it again. I had also ordered a Thai iced tea, which was fine, nothing out of the ordinary.
(3)
Theresa S.
We had dinner here last night and were initially the only ones there so service was great. We ordered the dinner special and thought all the dishes were delicious... lettuce cup, tamarind prawns, string beans with chix and, of course, the fried banana dessert! Because of the food and atmosphere, this place reminds me of a suburban Straits Cafe which is perfect for us since we have a kid now but can still enjoy good food and drinks.
(4)
elsa n.
The food was really bad. It had an excesive amount of garlic. We could not eat it. And there was no point of bringing that home. The car was going to get stinky and the house as well. Even the calamary had garlic in it. Really bad. If the food had been good i would not mind the prices. But it was a total rip off since we could not eat anything.
(1)
Jeff C.
Excellent Asian fusion in a fairly hip setting. More palatable than Sino and less experimental than Straits, the cooking at Ginger Cafe is fresh, different enough to be interesting, and done with great taste and style. Chinese with South and Southeast Asian influences including a clever cumin lamb dish, curry-tinged dishes, and slightly off-center renditions of Chinese dishes that are tastefully westernized without being pandering or overly cute. It's a difficult line to walk successfully, and it's carried off with great skill and to unique effect at Ginger Cafe. Some of the excellent dishes include the Tamarind Prawns, Cumin Lamb, any of the beef dishes, Thai Curry Vegetarian Duck. Haven't tried the fried rice but other tables had it and it looked delicious. Some of the dishes are stronger than others. Dim Sum is reportedly mediocre. The dishes that are good are outstandingly good; great even! The main chefs are "Mandarin" and "Cantonese," and they definitely know their way around international cooking and Asian flavors. Quality of ingredients is consistently very good. Ginger Cafe is a rare and unexpected gem. Highly recommended.
(4)
Jeeta G.
My husband and I finally ventured into Ginger Cafe last night. We saw the signs before the restaurant was complete but never really knew what type of place this was... It's beautifully decorated indoors, the staff is super-friendly and were really nice to my 18 month old. We had the kung pao veggi chicken and fried rice... both were quiet yummy. The fried rice had more vegetables than most traditional fried rices. They were also great about spiciness levels. We will definitely be going back with our friends!
(4)
Arnold B.
I always drive by this place not knowing this place existed. We ordered their mangolian beef, chili chicken, and pad thai. Every single one of this dish we ordered was fresh and super delicious. I highly recommend this place, especially if you have never eaten here before. Your missing out on something. The price of their food is very reasonable, and place has an elegant feel to it. The service is commendable.
(4)
C W.
Nice atmosphere, but greasy, salty and a bit more than I would like to have paid for the quality of the food.
(2)
Fiel R.
mmmmmmm potato beef... highly recommend!
(5)
Jennifer L.
the decor is extremely trendy and the ambiance is very intimate. It is a little like PF changs but i would say the dim sum is very good. The porcupine custard bun and the shrimp dumplings are to die for=]. i also really enjoyed the eggplant dish for lunch, it was very tasty. Although some might think they may be salty or over seasoned, i like my food with flavor so its perfect my my taste buds=]
(5)
Julie N.
I've been here a few times. I like their decor. It created a comfortable atmosphere to dine in for anytime of the day. As for the food, there are a variety of different types of asian foods.. from vietnamese to chinese to thai. The dim sum is tasty, but the portions were smaller than other places. It was a bit pricey for whats it worth, so everything counts. I know i can get the same food else where better and cheaper.
(2)
mariellen g.
Forget this place! Used to like it but took a group and they gave us the worst service ever. Waitress took one drink order and walked off, we had to flag her down. Ordered dinner including a child's plate (which is just dim sum) the child's plate came AFTER the dinner order was finished. The waitress didn't apologize and still charged us then had the bartender bring out the bill. Forget it I can't believe I left her a nice tip. There are way too many good restaurants that want your business to be bothered here.
(1)
Anonymous V.
krung thai is more like it.
(2)
Mai B.
My family went here for dinner. OMG.... were we in for a surprise. We ordered their sticky rice dimsum (available all day), mongolian beef, combination fried rice, and a beef chowfun. After 20 min wait, they finally brought out the 2 sticky rice buns wrapped in banana leaf. With great disappointment, the sticky rice was still half frozen, and the worst part was, the sticky rice was actually something that you could buy at a asian supermarket. They were not freshly made sticky rice like you would nornally can get at a "real" dimsum chinese restaurant. Then the remaining of the dishes came out shortly after. So, we were disappointed with the sticky rice, but hopeful for the remaining dishes. And boy... were we wrong... their fried rice was so mushy, their mongolian beef was too sweet. The only decent dish was the beef chowfun. We couldn't eat our food, and politely left every dish almost full. Our waitress didn't bother to ask us if there was something wrong with the food. We assumed that she knew that she was working for a bad chinese restaurant or she frankly didn't care. We paid and silently said... good luck with your business if you continue to serve your customers with this kind of food. DO NOT EAT HERE.
(1)
Don F.
This was a visit to try the place again after extremely poor sevice a couple of months ago. Thought we'd try the place again. This USED to be a place with good food and good service a couple of years ago. This time, we (sister and I) ordered one of the dinners-for-two. The food was very good, including the shrimp puffs. After the food was served, we never saw the waitress again. Water ran out, and nobody stopped to refill. everybody just walked by like we didn't exist - when it came time for boxes-to-go, one of the other waitresses gave us a box, and brought plates for the dessert included with the dinner price. We waited 20 minutes, and no dessert. We finally got up and went to the front to pay and explain that we got no dessert after 20 minutes. They said 'oh, sorry', and took our money. They didn't offer to serve us the dessert. They didn't offer to box the dessert - they just didn't give it to us. Period. No discount for not serving the whole dinner (dessert missing). In fact, they didn't even want to give us our change. BOTTOM LINE: Go here if you want good food and really poor service. You might get your complete order - then again, you might not....
(1)
mel g.
if you're craving decent dim sum after 2pm then this is a good solution. not the greatest, but certainly not the worst. their pan-fried leek dumplings are amazing. as are their sesame balls. the rest of the chinese dim sum is ok, although i thought the veggie was pretty bad. service is prompt and friendly. tables are clean. all-in-all, good solution to your late afternoon/evening dim sum cravings!
(3)
Avni S.
Ginger Cafe is one of my favorite Chinese Restaurants in Sunnyvale. My work has catered from them on numerous occasions and all their items taste fresh and authentic. Being vegetarian, I love their pineapple fried rice, tofu and eggplant that's sauteed in a garlic sauce, and Singaporean noodles. My only criticism is that their tofu is a bit chewy and has not fully absorbed the flavor of the sauce. However, the food is still delicious. I'd definitely come back here again to try more of their offerings.
(4)
Erin Y.
I normally have a particular distaste for Asian fusion (like many Asians), so when one gets my attention, you can be sure they're doing something right. Apart from the cute hostess, walking in, you'll immediately notice the cool layout. It's circular, and I like to sit at the booths around the inner circle by myself and daydream. Jk kinda. I come to this place fairly often with family. In a family of picky female eaters, we all agree the FRIED TILAPIA (w/soy sauce and peppers) is bomb. Perfect amount of crispy, fish quality itself isn't extraordinary, but sauce definitely makes up for it. Slightly sweet and suited to the Asian tongue. The LAMB W/CUMIN is my personal favorite as I've developed a strange obsession with cumin. I guess there are worse things to be obsessed with. The lamb quality itself has kind of progressively gotten worse during consecutive visits (don't expect anything particularly juicy or tender), but my oh my how that cumin seasoning complements the lamb perfectly. I don't believe I can make it myself, so I come here. Now the star appetizer: SEA BASS DUMPLINGS. Got the dim sum sampler once and these stood out. Soft, sticky starch wrapper surrounding wonderfully seasoned sea bass. I can't really tell that it's fish, but I don't care what they stick in there as long as it keeps on tasting this good. Paid a cool ~$44 for this recent meal of 3 dishes (that I mostly ate by myself). Don't let my figure fool ya-I'm secretly (or not so secretly) a pig. Kinda overpriced for the quantity...I gobbled up those 3 dumplings in 30 sec tops. But worth it once in a while!
(4)
Dean C.
7/24/15: Came here for lunch. One of the better American interpretations of Chinese food. Certainly better than Pf Chang or Panda Inn. Yet, still is a mixed bag. First off I will state it took forever to get our food. This place is in the central area for the businesses so I would assume the vast majority of their lunchtime clientele are there on lunch break. So the 30min or so it took to get the food is really not acceptable. 1. Sea Bass Dumplings $6: They look totally beautiful. The filling is actually tasty. Unfortunately the shell is hard and not soft and chewy like it should be. This made it brittle and easy to break and just plain tastes bad. Also they are totally glues down and picking them up without ripping them is totally impossible. Thus all the filling falls out and you're left with eating the messy resulting broken shell and meat separately. 3/10 2. Braised Pork Belly with Turnip Leaves $15: Not bad. Was impressed actually given the American nature. Presented well with the sliced pork cleanly laid out. Texture was great with the fat nice and succulent. Unfortunately the flavor isn't really distinctive but still was fine. The vegetables were perfect though. Nice and crispy and green. Overall pretty good. 7/10 3. Egg Fried Rice (Small) $2.50: Standard fried rice. But amazingly the texture is very good. Very al dente rice. Almost like brown rice. Heck this is better than most real Chinese places! 8/10 So my main dish was good and the appetizer wasn't. Why just 3 stars? Well I can tell my friend's order wasn't good. Chicken with noodles. I can see the chicken was totally dry. It just seems this place would be hit and miss. Also again, the wait is not good for a business lunch. 3/5 #chinese
(3)
Chefs Daughter D.
It actually wasn't toooo bad, but expecting more fusion. It was more Chinese/Vietnamese with a hint of maybe Thai/Malaysian. We ordered xo fried rice, dim sum app platter (my fav) but the other noodle and chicken curry was just ok. It needed more something-something. The desserts were a bit better. We ordered fried bananas but it's more Americanized than a fried bananas at a Thai restaurant. It's basically an American round banana in a Filipino lumpia wrapper but presentation was nice in look. Wouldn't rule them out but expected more. Our server, however, was very helpful, nice and very informative as it was our first time. (Sorry, we forgot his name) Dim sum platter 4 Entries 2-3 Dessert 4
(3)
Steven M.
I have the Soft Shell Crab Fun Pei Salad for take out. The dish has as lot of food for one person. There are three main section. The bottom is a bed of wide flat rice noodles. The middle is a bed of lettuce. Last but not least, the top is the fried soft shell crab. The soft shell crab is over breaded, so the style is very different from tempura. In fact, its sort of like fish and chips styles. The lettuce and rice noodle is good. The included a spicy fish sauce with garlic as dressing. It is good, probably on the too spicy side. I look forward to try some other dishes from this restaurant next time.
(3)
Jan S.
We order take out from Ginger Cafe at least once a month. Their selection is great, there is something from everybody.
(5)
Ben H L.
My ex-roommate used to come here to Ginger Cafe and since I was at a loss of where to go for dinner on a recent Sunday night, I decided to come here with my friend to this place. There were open on Easter Sunday so I was very happy to know that Chinese restaurants still open 365 days a year. We ordered lettuce cups, catfish, veggie shanghai noodles, and for the most part, all of it was very good. The lettuce cups themselves were large cups of lettuce, about the size of a softball. The catfish looks small compared to the picture in the menu but it was actually a decent portion. The veggie noodles tasted relatively clean and didn't give me a greasy feeling either. I liked Ginger Cafe for not serving typical greasy Chinese food and having a non-traditional menu full of other cuisines. The interior decor is way nicer than an average Chinese restaurant and since they also serve mixed drinks, that already makes this place many steps up from the average Chinese restaurant experience. Most likely will come back here again.
(4)
Golda R.
I'm not a big fan of Chinese food, but I am a fan of Asian fusion. This place is great because it's just that. My husband and I tried their dim sum sampler, and my favorites ended up being the bok choy shrimp dumpling and the cream cheese crab puffs. I would definitely come back here again to try more stuff, and because the ambiance is nice for a sit down meal. Don't be fooled by their name. We thought it was going to be cafe style, but it's really a sit down restaurant.
Went there tonight for dinner with a group of friends. We ordered lots of stuff, the dishes are delicious, amount is good too. However I feel that the waiters can be better. We ordered a seabass and they didn't get the order, we also need to ask them couple times for water.
(4)
Martha R.
My GF and I stopped by on Saturday we really enjoyed the food we tried food we had not tried before and everything we tried was really good specially the Mojito my GF loved it. The service was awesome the waiter explained the food really well. We will definately come back soon.
(5)
Stella M.
Gah! Finally getting around to writing/posting all these Yelp reviews I meant to post 8 months ago! This review is for Ginger Cafe as a wedding caterer (August 2014). From the very beginning, Bo and Tuyen were very responsive in answering all of our questions and addressing our concerns in a timely manner to make sure our wedding was a great experience. From the dinner menu tasting, drinks tasting, walkthrough, final payment meeting, and the day of the wedding, working with Ginger Cafe was a breeze. Attention Chinese brides: you are now able to serve the food of your people at your wedding and not have to do it at some tacky restaurant! I'd consider their food to be Chinese/Vietnamese with a modern/fusion twist. My family enjoyed the food, which was important to me. Ginger Cafe is one of the very few Chinese caterers in the Bay Area that will do on-site catering at the venue of your choice. Their pricing is very straightforward and transparent. Drinks and appetizers were all you can drink and eat (pricing is per guest). You can also modify your menu to your liking. I had a few guests with shellfish allergies and they were able to help us accommodate them. I wanted to serve Dark N Stormies as one of our signature cocktails, but they didn't have ginger beer so Bo and his team created their own ginger ale concoction for us during the drinks tasting! They ended up buying ginger beer for the wedding, but it was still amazing nonetheless. During the reception venue walkthrough, I had a mini panic attack when a staff person at the venue told us that we couldn't deep fry (which meant we couldn't serve over half of our menu - including the lobster! Noo!!). Not really sure what happened next, but Bo worked his magic with the manager the next day and it was all good! All of our guests raved about the food and said that they had never had wedding food this good before. Everyone was so stuffed because it was a 10 course meal. They were also thrilled to be able to take leftovers home - takeout boxes were provided for guests. At the end of the night, Ginger Cafe provided us with a case of bottled water for our guests to take with them on the road. In sum, I HIGHLY recommend them as a wedding caterer. Wonderful experience!
(5)
May D.
This place is okay, food is pretty good and prices are reasonable. Service though sometimes can be slow which is not okay when I'm super hungry! lol Anyway, I have been going here for 5yrs with family and friend. I like this place better than pf changs, it feels more family oriented. Cheers!
(4)
Laura P.
Much love to Ginger Cafe! The dim sum appetizer started us off, and everything on it was so good, it almost turned into a monkey-knife fight for the siu mai. The honeyed quail was fantastic, as was the salt and pepper calamari. The eggplant tofu was taken to go because by the time we were done with all of that, we were both stuffed. The restaurant was comfortable, clean, and nicely decorated. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive, and the tea was plentiful and hot. I cannot wait to come back and try a few more things.
(5)
Lloyd J.
Great food, Good ambiance, and good service. We had the pineapple rice, Mongolian beef and fried tilapia... All good food. Try their cream cheese crab wonton. Good restaurant in Sunnyvale.
(4)
Katy M.
Great wait staff. I ordered the Saigon street style chow fun and it was one of the best chow guns I've ever had! The ingredients were fresh and loved the sauce on top. It's a couple dollars more than other places but well worth it.
(5)
Maximillian S.
Pretty good for asian fusion. Can get a little pricey but if you share dishes everyone will get enough to eat. The chili chicken was definitely the best dish we got, very tasty and tangy sauce and crispy chicken in a generous amount. Service is really friendly, I just wish they didn't charge for tea and steamed rice.
(4)
Alexey R.
Headed here for lunch. The best chicken curry in the Bay Area ! Give it a shot and see yourself. The service was quick. Will come again!
(5)
Ron F.
Very courteous in filling a last minute to go order I'll be back again when we can stay and enjoy the ambiance as well, Great variety in their menu
(5)
Nidhi D.
I had thought about going to this place for 5 yrs and finally the time came last week. I went on lunch. Ambience is good however I was disappointed by the food. I have chicken and bean with fried rice lunch combo. Rice was not at all fresh..and chicken was very cooked and dry...would not recommend it.
(2)
Stephen H.
I brought a group from Mainland China here on a recommendation from a local. I really wanted to give it 3.5 stars, but we'll round up to four. Why? Well, everybody enjoyed their food, although that may have been as much from the fact they were missing the real stuff from China at this point of the trip. We walked in at lunchtime, and they were nice enough to put tables together out on the patio to immediately accommodate our group. Again, pretty good food. NIce to have both rice and noodle dishes. Pretty good service. If you are in this area, I would recommend.
(4)
Xu J.
My family and I enjoy Ginger Cafe very much. The food is great everything is super clean. The food always is fresh and the service is excellent.
(5)
Danni D.
I've been here quite a few times and each time I've not been disappointed. The mandarin tofu is my favorite, and it's a must have every time. I love the string bean chicken- it's a little spicy so if you don't like spicy then watch out! It's a typical dish but the pork fried rice here is the best I've ever had. I try to only review places that I'm in love with and this is definitely one. Keep up the good work guys!
(5)
Johnny T.
This was the third time that we came here and they have very good service. This isnt a typical chinese restaurant but it is close enough. I like the set up and it is a great place if you want to meet a group of friends for lunch
(4)
Lior B.
Great food, really nice and quiet atmosphere, pretty interior and clean. And the prices are very reasonable. Definitely coming back often.
(5)
Jane A.
STEPPING UP THE DIM-SUM GAME (4 stars) Paying for quality. - FOOD, good - PRICES, little more expensive - SERVICE, good - AMBIANCE, nice The outside does not portray the inside. Nice space. Great service. Paying for quality. They've come up with unique Dimsum dishes. We came specifically to try the Porcupine Custard Buns. HEFER STATUS BLUE CRAB DUMPLINGS ($5) - blue crab has a very strong crab taste. Much more mild then crab I'm use to. No need for dipping sauce, the taste is already enough as it is. BAK CHOY AND SHRIMP DUMPLINGS ($4.5) - tiny pieces of bak choy and shrimp meat. Wrapped in clear rice paper. Really enjoyed this one. PORCUPINE CUSTARD BUNS ($5) - OH MY. You, must, order. It's tinier then the picture portrays. But it's so delicious even if it's too cute to eat. Inside is a perfect softness with a small sweet spot of custard. Outer later is a nice soft thin crunch. Love it!!!!! Will I be back? Yes! JABA APPROVED. Until the next review...
(4)
Arnaud H.
The food was good but the waiting was very long. They were out of lamb :-( Mongolian beef was very tender. Their mandarin sauce was delicious with the rice. The hong kong pan fried noodle are good too.
(3)
Oriel B.
Great location, great service and awesome food! Ordered the orange chicken and Mongolian beef ! Awesome dishes !!
(5)
Eric C.
Food is OK but expensive for what's offered... XO rice has very very little XO. We asked for no Calamari but fried rice came with it... Chow Fun was very greasy and should have been cool with higher heat. Porcupine bun was okay. Fried but not just made..
(2)
Abigail G.
We read the reviews carefully and looked forward to a meal here at Ginger Cafe, particularly some dim sum. The crab dim sum had no crab in them, rather were stuffed with fake crab (colored Pollock fish) which is easy to indetify by fishy taste and look! Need I say more? Ok I will if you need more!. We are used to real Chinese food in Monterrey Park, LA, SF, etc. We were a little cautious and so ordered the dim sum sampler and drinks to try it out before committing to a full meal. The platter arrived with 2 each of four dim sum. They really were a disappointment. The steamed wrappers were too chewy, sort of tough, perhaps too old. The crab dim sum...... see above. One of the pair of dim sum was swimming with melted creamed cheese inside. We left quickly not wanting anymore "surprises"!!
(1)
Carmen C.
We worked with Bo and Tuyen to get Asian banquet family style food for our wedding, and it's been the best experience ever, hands down our best wedding vendor experience. They were so flexible and very knowledgeable about event timing and also how each course's flavors played off of each other. They really made it easy, put us at ease, and all our guests raved about the food at our wedding! Highly recommend them for any event!!!
(5)
Gautam C.
Nice ambience and Good food. Try their veggie dumplings and street noodles. But costly compared to similar places around.
(4)
linda y.
Our first time here. I chose this place to take my bf to celebrate his 33rd bday with our baby girl. We were also celebrating our 9 yrs Ann yesterday also. We were immediately greeted & had to wait a few minutes since they had to set up our table with a highchair. They gave baby girl crayons & a coloring place mat. Our waiter was nice & our baby girl waved hi & talked to him a little. He asked her age & was friendly back to her. I ordered the shanghai vegetarian noodles which I modified to order without onions, scallion, bean sprouts & mushrooms so it had noodles, tofu & eggs for me & baby girl to eat & we enjoyed it. My bf ordered lemon chicken with a bowl of rice which was good, but the portion was small esp when they put them in huge plates. My noodles was a big portion size. I asked our waiter since its my bf's bday do they give a slice of cake & he gave him a slice of coconut Casanova cake which with a candle & written in chocolate syrup happy birthday it actually was pretty good. Normally I don't like coconut stuff much but it was good. My first time trying a Casanova cake. The decor was nice & the food was great & service was good...definitely would come back & try other stuff on the menu.
(5)
Shannon M.
The crispy Tofu was delicious, and the service was prompt and friendly. The ambiance is pleasant, and the background music isn't so loud that you can't have a conversation.
(4)
Bryan S.
Great food, great selection, fast service. Went here for dinner twice now and have had a perfect meal every time. Food is fantastic, great selection, everything tastes great. Will be back again!
(5)
Alice H.
Tips: $5 for lotus wrapped sticky rice $5 for Porcupine Custard Buns $11 three delights soup with sizzling rice - shrimp, calamari/squid Fried banana dessert has pineapple flavored ice cream. --------------------------------------------------Â---------------- The porcupine custard buns are seriously the cutest thing. The presentation is very impressive. The buns are not bad as well, they are definitely DEEP FRIED. You get 2 sticky rices for $5 and they are of medium size. They are pretty good and reminiscent of a traditional dim sum restaurant. The decor is very nice and modern, it is a very nice place to take your family to. The wait staff are very polite and patient as well. The pricing is a bit on the more expensive side, but I guess that is the theme of the restaurant to be a little more upscale. 3 stars for the food 4 stars for the atmosphere and wait staff
(4)
Robert C.
The Ginger cafe is a family owned restaurant with locations in Morgan Hill and Sunnyvale. I once placed a large food phone order by mistake from the Morgan Hill site instead of the Sunnyvale site, some 30 miles apart. . The Sunnyvale store is located in a small strip mall hidden from one of the busiest intersections in Sunnyvale -El Camino Real and Mathilda -where two 8 lane roads meet. Unfortunately you cannot see Ginger Cafe from the intersection, and is hard to find unless you are looking for it. Across Mathilda is PF Changs restaurant right on the corner of the intersection, anchoring a large shopping center. Down the street is Sunnyvale Tennis Center within 100 yards. We walked in without a reservation on a Saturday evening at 645pm. Majestic cathedral ceilings 18 feet high, with lighted decor. Mahogony colored wooden tables, scarred through 10 years of use, with comfortable matching colored wooden chairs with padded backs and bottoms. Paper napkins instead of cloth napkins, and only one fork instead of two. No cloth table cloths, but paper place settings. Small bar with 4 chairs in front of a single TV monitor at the entrance. About 20 tables of 4 arranged in a semi circle around an Oriental center piece. The place is packed, and we wait 15 minutes to get seated, another 15 minutes for the order to be placed, and at least 15 minutes for the food to arrive in piecemeal, with the meat dish arriving at least 5 minutes before the rice, and then the cold appetizer plate. The waitress dressed in all black from head to toe, a la Matrix style, is apologetic about the lengthy delay in getting our food. This is not good, as the meat gets cold while waiting for the rice. Our Chinese chicken salad $9 comes with salad, carrot strips for color, and heated sliced strips of chicken breast, arranged in a colorful presentation. I would have preferred more dressing, as it is barely noticeable. The portion is very generous and could have served 4. We ask for and receive separate plates and forks for the salad. The kung pao chicken $12 comes with carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery, peanuts, chili peppers, along with hunks of chicken . The dish is delicious, but the hunks of chicken are too large for eating without a knife, and should have been cut into smaller bite size pieces. Again a very large serving, feeding 4. It goes well with the family size white rice $3.50, which arrives without a top to the rice pot. . Finally we get the garlic prawns $16 cooked with hot green jalapenos,onions and scallions in a small pot dish. The small bowl contains maybe a dozen prawns, and is to die for. My late 91 year old mother loved this dish. This dish is spicy hot, and causes my forehead to break out in a deep sweat. I quickly drink up both mine and my wife' s glasses of water, before the waiter brings more water. We bring along a coupon and with our $40 purchase get a free dessert, fried bananas coconut ice cream $7. This consists of five large scoops of coconut ice cream and four egg rolls filled with hot bananas. Another deliciously, decadent dessert. Our bill before tax and tip comes to $40.50, with lots of leftovers. For the month of February, purchases of $40 or more will get a $10 gift certificate good through August. We will be back, but next time with a reservation.
(4)
Jordan L.
Kind of surprised by the restaurant when I walked in... It's definitely Asian (Chinese) food but the decor looks like a nice American restaurant. Ginger Cafe is kind of like what PF Chang's should be if it didn't suck. Asian food and Asian inspired food in an American dining setting. I had the potato beef and it was alright. Never add the dollar for the lunch special salad because it's shitty cafeteria side salad. Otherwise this place was fine.
(3)
Kim A.
My boyfriend and I are regulars for their takeout. We've been on a shrimp kick lately, and their shrimp options are all outstanding. The Salt and Pepper Prawns are our go to-- the perfect blend of flavors and crispy, tender shrimp! We've only eaten at the restaurant once, but the service they provided was great to the only people sitting at the bar that night! (I just got off a two-hour public transportation commute and was in desperate need of water, they kept refilling my glass!)
(4)
Nirupa A.
Love their food. The staff are very courteous and help us in picking out the right dishes based on our interests.
(4)
Oanh N.
Ginger Cafe catered our wedding reception and what an amazing job they did! Our guests kept talking about how good the food was, even went on to list their particular favorite dishes (and pretty much every dish made it to the collective favorite list). All the kids (and adults) absolutely loved the pig custard buns. We got so many photos of them :) Tuyen and Bo were fantastic to work with. They were easy going and very willing to customize the menu to fit our tastes. And their prices are very reasonable. After the wedding, we also turned to them when we needed to cater a non-profit's holiday party fundraising dinner. Our guests at that party also loved the food. And we were so glad for the generous discount they provided to our non-profit. Love that they have big hearts as well!
(5)
Pras B.
Good ambiance. Got a nice table to seat. Price is high for Chinese restaurant. Taste was not that good. Quality to cost 3stars. small portion size. Source: Big Chinese cuisine fan.
(3)
S N.
Restaurant is clean and staff is friendly . Food is very bland and practically tasteless. Good quality but lacking in taste. Would not come back or recommend . PF Chang's is way better.
(3)
Priscilla K.
Well... I really enjoyed the dish; however the next day I had a severe stomache problem. Same thing happened again the day after with left over foods of here. Something wrong with their ingredients or am i sensitive? Had to run to the pharmacy and had a pill..
(1)
Jamie S.
Great food, horrible customer service. Extremely disappointed with this place. This was my first time here and the customer service was just awful. Took them 45 minutes to bring out our appetizers. And that was after 15-20 minutes of waiting at our table to be served. We had to ask them for drinks since the waitress never asked if we wanted anything to drink, and in the 2 hours we spent here they refilled our once, our waitress never asked us how the food was, and we were completely ignored. The person who gave us our food avoided us, avoided eye contact, and immediately walked away. Rude employees, horrible service. I won't be coming back or recommending friends here. I've gotten better service at Taco Bell.
(1)
Amanda M.
THE BEST WEDDING CATERERS EVER!!! I cannot imagine our wedding day without Bo and Tuyen by our side, literally from start to finish. My husband and I had our wedding at the beautiful San Francisco City Hall. No, we didn't just have the ceremony there, we rented the entire building to have the whole shabang happen in the Rotunda on December 28, 2013. So, why did it take me so long to write this review? Because I wanted you to know that six months afterwards, my wedding caterers are still the talk of my family and friends and I STILL believe working with them was the best decision I ever made. 1. Wedding planning- as we all know, this can be a very stressful task. Bo was always just a text message or call away to help me plan every detail, from menu placement, to napkin fold, to signature drinks. Where Bo and Tuyen get the most points is working with SF City hall for the first time and meeting all the various code requirements. From fire permits, to tarp and flooring requirements, Bo and Tuyen made it happen. 2. The food- it was absolutely remarkable. My guests rave about it every time I talk to them! The lobster...the crab soup...the walnut shrimp...the lobster...the potato beef...the lobster!! It was all so delicious! We had 3 signature drinks that were made perfectly. 3. Professionalism/cost- Ginger Cafe is a very professional establishment and it never wavered. The cost was very reasonable and I swear I wish I could have given them more! They were so amazing, I literally would give them everything I had. The City Hall had doubts that Ginger Cafe could pull off such a big job, but Bo and Tuyen continued to assure me that they wouldn't let me down, and they didn't. Also, on my wedding night, we needed the fire Marshal to stay longer than anticipated. Instead of closing up the food shop early, Bo paid for the Marshal to stay and we reimbursed him later. 4. Other- I think they were surprised that my husband and I are Black and wanted their food...of course we did! Yes, their food is universal. You do not have to be Asian, or white, or green, the food and service are UNIVERSAL! Bo and Tuyen will be friends of ours forever. Thank you thank you thank you! Search Amanda and Steven Mason on vimeo to view our wedding highlight film! vimeo.com/m/88496028
(5)
Sunny C.
I love this place and it always hits the spot... I've been for lunch (great specials), dim sum, for drinks with friends, and even for a date night. Food is always flavorful (yet no MSG!). The owner is Chinese, but grew up in Vietnam, so blends the best of 2 fantastic cuisines. American Chinese offerings like orange chicken are just OK, but Thai and Vietnamese dishes are the strong suit here. Dumpling Soup, Mandarin Tofu, Lemongrass chicken, caramelized garlic prawns and mango chicken are all wonderful. My friends have enjoyed the mongolian beef. It's casual, but has a nice ambience. Skip PF Changs, this place is so much better
(4)
Jessica P.
The service at this restaurant was very slow and sluggish. Everything took forever to show up from water until the bill. The Dim sum is also not the best in the area. There was no manager on duty to supervise or see where they fell short. People were going to the main cashier to order their drinks after being seated.
(2)
Mansi A.
Hello tasty Chinese food in Sunnyvale! Rarely do I come across Chinese restaurants that satisfy my craving, and Ginger Cafe did just that! We ordered a variety of dishes and loved each of them! Situated nearly across from PF Chang's, Ginger Cafe definitely has a battle to fight. Support the little guys and choose to dine here - you really will love it.
(4)
Robbert W.
Always ordered out from this place until today and food has always been amazing. Decided to dine in today and unfortunately our server was very impolite (basically ignored us and was sarcastic when he did pay attention to us). He was replaced after a while with another server who was better, but I do not think I will be eating in here again.
(3)
Helena L.
Go for the Dim Sum and stay for everything else. I've been a few times and haven't tried something that did me wrong. The dishes are creative but hearty, and the only server I've ever had there was super helpful. The ambiance is nice if you ignore how much it is trying to be elephant bar. Don't bother with the cocktails. I'm docking one star because the menu lacks brown rice.
(4)
Sarah S.
Best food, amazing service. The mango chicken is the best thing ever! All of the dishes are fresh, tasty, and consistently good!
(5)
Natalie G.
The food here is delicious! The portions are generous and the food is great. The staff is friendly and the service is good. It is family friendly, which is great! We will definitely make this a regular dinner spot.
(5)
Melanie C.
Wow. So SO good. Pretty inside. Everything I have had is delicious, piping hot. I want to try everything on the menu. The banana dessert is to die for, my favorite so far has to be the mango chicken curry. Go now.
(5)
Krystal M.
I was really disappointed with the food here. I chose to try this place because I wanted to avoid getting fast food. The restaurant is big and well decorated with a bar. So I expected their food to be very authentic and flavorful since they appear to be a "fine-dining" restaurant. I ordered the Kung pao chicken to-go and It took about 10 mins to prepare. When I got home to eat it, it already looked really bland and had no color besides a few bell peppers. It tasted worse that it looked. No flavor at all, it was just brown mush. Kung pao chicken is supposed to be spicy right? This had no taste at all. For $10 I expected a lot more and was very disappointed. I would chose Panda Express over this place any day.
(3)
Ari I.
Went out for dinner with husband and daughter, restaurant looks nice and clean. They seated us within 10 minutes which is good, the place wasn't too crowded. We waited for 30 minutes until someone is taking our order. We order Blue crab dumplings for appetizer Orange Chicken , steamed rice, Three sizzling hot and chili chicken for the main course. Appetizer and main course come out together, everything was bland except for the chili chicken because it was covered with raw chopped garlic and dry chili pods. Panda Express served better and tastier menu than this place. My daughter said the steamed rice taste better than the orange chicken.
(2)
K M.
This place rocks, great portions and service was exceptional!
This place was fantastic. the decor is beautiful, and the food was amazing! We had the Mu Shu Chicken Rolls, Fun Pei Salad with soft crab, Pecan Prawns, orange chicken, pineapple fried rice, and potato beef. The last was suggested by the server, and it felt a little out of place, but tasted amazing! Portions were generous and 4 adults had A LOT of left-overs. We pretty much all agreed that it was the best Chinese we'd ever had. I took it all to go, so can't speak for the service, but the server was very nice and ensured that everything was correct and done quickly.
(5)
Nancy K.
Went to Ginger Cafe for Fathers day Dinner they hardly had any customers just 2 family's .No one was there to greet .Finally 5 minutes later a guy walks in and acknowledged us . when we sat down the server didnt show up good 15minutes . I was still very patient i was going through the pictures and the menu .Finally our server should up we ordered our main course kung pao chicken , salt ad pepper shrimp, fried rice , and chicken chowein and for apptezier we had lettuce wrap and taro shrimp cake . Food was good better than PF changs. Service sucks i ordered my drink she brought it a few inutes later i was drinking it and realised the glass was brooken and had a very long crack on it and i told my server . She gave me a luk like i did it i only had a sip why the heck would i break ur glass she didnt evevn appolgize and just transfred the drink in other glass. VERY VERY RUDE STAFF. 2 stars are for the food only....
Always good food here! But the iced tea Is horrible. It used to be very good but today it was watery and tasteless,
(5)
Krista J.
I ordered mango chicken for lunch takeout and it was delicious! Definitely a must-try dish. There was enough to split into two or three servings, but it wasn't quite as good reheated as it was fresh. Rake out comes with rice, soup, and the main dish. I only wish they had some nutritional information at the restaurant - I asked at the front.
(4)
Yen B.
This review is for wedding catering. Sorry Bo and Tuyen for taking so long to write you a review! I met them at an expo two years prior to my wedding date and decided to keep their catering menu for later usage. After two years of doing researches and comparisions, I decided to go with Ginger's cafe. Trust me, I spent a lot of time and money on different caterers to find what I wanted. These were my reasons for choosing Ginger's Cafe: - Responsive -Affordable - Flexible - Accomodated I chose the family style, most expensive package and that was less than $600 per table for ten. The menu came with three butler-passed appertizers, which I changed one from eggroll to spring roll. My guests loved, loved, loved the shrimp curlers, a must at the wedding. I was surprised to find out that these apps were all you can eat, so it was nice to have during the cocktail hour. The main dinner was an eight-course meal. I had to change almost half of the menu to accomodate half Asian and half Caucasian guests. They were so patience and accomodated while I decided on the menu. Food was good and so much. We had guests bring home the left-overs. Even the tables with Hawaiians, there were food left-overs to bring home. Overall, I am glad to have chosen Ginger's Cafe for my wedding. Great service, food, price, and people. I would recommend those who are looking for a caterer to at least check them out.
(5)
Matthew L.
The menu sounds great and is very interesting but the execution is lacking. Sea bass dumplings were awesome, lamb buns were okay but the flavors didn't quite go together, and the beef chow fun was average.
(3)
John P.
Angel and Able are the best(Angle is a doll). Best Chinese food in San Jose. Service was fantastic, definetly coming back again
(5)
Mansi D.
This place is amaze!! Deceiving looks and name but it's amazing. Walk in and you'll see the difference. Being a vegetarian, I usually don't find so many options at Chinese places but this was a "vegetarians delight". Good quantity, good choices, yum food! The drinks are pretty good too!
(5)
Anusha P.
Their chow fun was amazing. Vegetable dumplings were just about okay. But the tofu sauteed with cumin was super good! Definitely recommended.
(4)
Lauren P.
Great service, AMAZING FOOD. I got the pineapple fried rice and the Shaking beef, so incredibly delicious.
(5)
A C.
I tried giving the place a chance but doing so sent into anaphylactic shock. I ordered something simple that I thought they couldn't fuck up and I was very wrong: I got vegetable chow mein. On the menu it said it had celery, scallions, onions but absolutely nothing about any sort of mushrooms. I am severely allergic to mushrooms and then when I'm about to enjoy my food a huge clump of shiitake is awaiting me. Please realize if you are serving an allergen, list it on your fucking menu before you end up with a lawsuit!!!
(1)
Catherine L.
In a little plaza across from PF Changs, this is definitely a better alternative. A fusion between American and Chinese food this was a great change of pace from our usual food fare. Ordered the fried taro/shrimp dim sum and we both really liked it even though my friends not a huge taro fan. The won ton soup was good and tasted a lot like mine which surprised me. They also added mushrooms to the soup but I thought they could have been cooked a little longer.. a little too firm still. Next we had a sauteed noodle which was okay and basil chicken which was much more saucier than I expected. I really liked the basil chicken but it was really different from what I expected. Will definitely return!
(4)
Maya A.
I came here for the dimsum (all day!), and really enjoyed it. The wrappers on the dumplings were delicious and not too overpowering to the filling. I will definitely come back here for the dumplings and potstickers!
(4)
Sv U.
Went to Ginger Cafe for the first time yesterday; it was a group of 10 for my son's birthday. Food was delicious and well prepared. Had the dim sum sampler, soft shell crab fresh rolls (excellent), fried tilapia filet with chili and garlic, potato beef, orange chicken, pineapple rice and chicken chow fun. My son raved about the fried tilapia filet; he was impressed on how good it was. The kids loved the porcupine custard buns. The Thai iced tea, Vietnamese iced coffee and smoothies were great as well. Our waiter Nathan was attentive and always kept our waters filled. Overall, a great experience and we will come back again.
(5)
Guru S.
Food was very good. The only bad thing was some items took a bit long to get. Otherwise they were very friendly with a big smile and very courteous. Will definitely go back. We ordered the BokChoy Shrimp Dumplings, Sizzling rice soup, Chow Mein, Kung Pao Chicken, Fried Tilapia Filet with Chili and Garlic.
(4)
Roxanne K.
Ginger Cafe catered our wedding (June 8, 2013) so this will be a review of them as a vendor. My husband and I have a big family. 200 people with our sides combined and we had about 100 friends we wanted to invite so we knew we were going to have a big wedding. We also wanted to have a banquet style dinner reception with Asian food that wasn't at a Chinese restaurant because I did NOT want our colors to be red red red (although I love the 49ers and bleed red & gold). Cue Ginger Cafe. From the very beginning, Bo and Tuyen were great in responding to our questions/concerns. We went in for a tasting, and they let us personalize the menu to what we wanted. We had the following: Appetizers: chicken teriyaki skewers, fried tofu cup in Mandarin sauce, and shrimp crueller roll (ALL SO VERY GOOD!) - Cauliflower crabmeat soup (misleading name as it really is cauliflower cream soup with a crabmeat dumpling) - The filet mignon luc lac (cooked perfectly and a big hit with the guests) - Lobster (another big hit!) - Taro duck (WELL WORTH THE extra$ since is REALLY good.) - Steamed fish (this was the last main dish to be served so people were full by then, but it was eaten) - Pineapple fried rice (My family is Filipino and they believe that rice should accompany all dishes so they didn't want to wait until the end for this. As a result of their requests for steamed rice, this dish was brought out before the Lobster... lol) Dessert: "Mouse/porcupine" custard buns and Steamed "Pig" custard buns. I'll have to post photos of them, but we asked them to make these specifically because they're our Chinese zodiac signs. Their service was also wonderful! The only complaint was that the servers during cocktail hour stayed in one spot (all together) until after Bo told them to walk around... So hopefully they make sure their employees know to do this! But other than that, they were really good and timing when they removed each course/added another. If you want to have delicious food and experienced caterer willing to work within your budget and your tastes, trust Ginger Cafe! Bo and Tuyen and the rest of the Ginger Cafe staff are the best!!!!!!!!
(5)
Katie R.
Nice to be away from the chains. Only issue is the temperature in the restaurant. It's always freezing in there.
(4)
Monica V.
Good Food..... Pleasant environment.... one word of advice.... choose your dishes carefully.... the specially made ones (shrimp, pepper beef, crab appetizer) rather than the traditional dishes such as kung pao chicken are much more flavorful.....keep finding myself coming back again and again!
(3)
Al S.
Came in for the first time last week... absolutely love it! Nice ambiance and friendly crew. Had 2 dishes... Orange Beef: great consistency, enough crispness and not overwhelming flavor... Tofu with Mandarin Sauce: same thing with the crispness, love the sauce with the garlic. Service is excellent! Carrie and the rest of the crew had us well attended, my water glass was refilled promptly. Will be back soon! :)
(4)
Lesley G.
I drive by this place on my way to work and decided to give it a whirl on date night. Overall it was pretty good experience. The restaurant is surprisingly spacious with a decent sized bar and wine selection. Our food was brought out to us very quickly and my pad thai was delicious. Only thing that could be improved is the service. Our waitress wasn't rude or unprofessional, but she wasn't very friendly or attentive either. Seemed like her heart wasn't in it. Other than that, I was very pleased and would definitely eat there again.
I've only been here for lunch so my review will focus on the dim sum and lunch specials. *Crispy tofu in mandarin sauce - For $8.25, you get about 10-12 crispy tofu drizzled in sweet mandarin sauce. How to describe mandarin sauce? Well, it's a slightly thick and slightly sweet black colored sauce with the same consistency of oil. I'm guessing it's soy sauce + sugar + oil. It sounds unhealthy but this dish may be the only thing I'll eat if I decide to turn vegetarian. By the way, when then waiter asks you if you want white or fried rice, request white rice since the sauce + fried rice will probably satisfy your daily sodium intake by at least twofolds. *Dim sum items: Har gow, shui mai, sticky rice in lotus leaf, steamed pork buns, taro cake, and egg rolls are the usual you've probably had elsewhere. The only flaw here is the inflated price. One thing that the ladies love are the porcupine shaped custard buns!
(4)
Diane W.
We enjoyed a delicious dim sum dinner this evening. All of the dishes were excellent except for the lobster dumplings. They had a strange mealy dried pea/corn taste. I love lobster, so if they need to skimp on it, just skip it. I'd recommend skipping them until they rework the recipe. The shrimp bok choy dumplings were amazing. Big chunks of shrimp. Probably the best I have ever had. The steamed pork buns were also better then any I can remember. The porcupines were adorable but I was too full to enjoy them. Todd was our waiter and he was very nice. It's a pretty place and no one rushed us. That part was perfect. I would happily return.
(4)
Patty C.
What a masquerade of a restaurant.. If they put as much effort into the quality/taste/pricing of the food as they did the decor and presentation, this place would be a massive hit. Almost everything on the menu is $10+. Anything with seafood or meat is $15+. Which would have been okay, had anything tasted halfway decent. I mean who prices small dim sum at $4-$5. I understand they have such things as "lobster" dumplings etc, which taste A-okay but quite honestly i doubt it's anything but imitation lobster. I have tried their lunch special which is a small bowl of soup, rice and a small entree for $8-$9, and VERY standard Chinese fare, with such things as mango chicken, sweet & sour pork, string bean chicken etc. One word: AVERAGE. What completely made me feel ripped off was my order of a "Fried Tilapia Filet" ($15). In spite of the waiter's recommendations, what this entree really was, was a flavorless, tough, deep fried frozen fish swimming in soy sauce and sugar. It was so salty i had to pour all the sauce into my separate rice bowl. And, i'm no world class chef, but anyone who has even cooked the slightest bit could probably cook this dish better than whoever cooked this travesty of a dish. All one has to do is pan fry a ton of garlic, green onions, chili peppers, and ginger in oil, then douse it in a bit of soy sauce with a bit of sugar. How on earth does one mess up on something SO simple, SO badly. The only saving grace of this restaurant is their service, but .... even their rice was pretty terrible. Leftover rice is too obvious.
(1)
caren c.
I am giving them a 5 star for a wonderful customer service and and a great meal each time my family dined here. Whenever we crave for asian cuisine, we go to this place because it's very welcoming, very relaxing and very modern. It almost feels like you're home. Very clean and the chairs are comfortable. They never wear out! Unlike other restaurant that when you sit, you're almost sinking and very sticky. Absolutely great customer service! My soda and water are being refilled promptly. The food is great. Big portions. We always order mongolian beef, crispy mandarin tofu, sui mai, crab dumplings, cream cheese crab puffs, x.o. fried rice but today we tried the combination fried rice and it was delish! For dessert: cream cheese banana pie & porcupine custard. Today we ordered fried banana with ice cream. For some reason, it wasn't what we expect. It has a different taste, like minty cherry? My kids didn't really enjoy it. We'll stick to the cream cheese banana pie! :') Happy hour is from 3-6. Overall: although we didn't like the dessert we order today, I still recommend this place! Customer Service is on top of the chart! Very attentive, cheerful and nice servers!
(5)
Dawn M.
We went again for restaurant week. Meals were $35 and served two. We didn't know that and ordered two specials. We brought half home as the family style meals were HUGE! We had: minced chicken lettuce cups and green papaya salad bacon wrapped scallops with tofu and snow peas coconut ice cream with fried bananas (5 scoops!) and cassava dessert Service was excellent and the waits were very, very happy albeit tired running off their feet all day with this promotion. I don't know why this place gets so many poor reviews as we are always treated very well and the food is always excellent. My husband is a very picky, always hungry corporate chef and we tip well.
(5)
Andrew D.
It's kinda of sad this place is literally across the street from PF Changs. Most people know PF Changs because of the name but not Ginger Cafe. If you want better food and less waiting time, go to Ginger instead. Anyways, this place is an excellent Asian American fusion restaurant. It provides dishes from Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai cross with American flavors. It's kind of on the pricy side, depending on what you order. Skip on the dumplings, Vietnamese egg rolls, etc.., The appetizers are just not as good as their entrees. The scallops tofu, string bean chicken, beef with asparagus and crispy tofu in mandarin sauce is what my fiance and I order most of the time. It's good! This location looks like a family own franchise since the waiters/waitresses have physical similarities and how they carry themselves. I strongly recommend this place if you like Asian American fusion type foods.
(4)
T N.
I didn't come here for 100% authentic Chinese cuisine. If that's what you want then go to Cupertino. Ginger Cafe was close by and open late. I was impressed by the customer service, ambiance and now let's get to the point: The food was surprisingly good! Crispy firm tofu in Mandarin sauce was GREAT! Noodles with vegetables also perfect Portions are reasonable. The price was a bit high but that's to be expected. I glanced at the seafood section on the menu and the price of the steamed bass was ridiculously overpriced. Will visit again!
(4)
Vanny L.
Been here a dozen times and each lunch has been for me atleast a 5 star rating. My coworkers and I decided to come in on a Friday and although I never ordered the Dim SUm before, we thought we'd try it. The 3 piece dim sum came out and it looked from the outside, very appealing. But when my coworker took a bite into it, he squirmed as the dim sum was still COLD. We werent sure if it was suppose to be COLD???! I mean we usually eat hot dim sum but maybe this one was different?... so we called the waiter and she said, yeah sorry its "supposed" to be HOT. lol WOW. No biggie, she took the order back and actually steam cooked it longer, it finally came out after our main entrees. Crispy Tofu (Melts in your Mouth), Potato Beef (spicy! But you can ask for no peppers), Soft Shell Crab Fun Pei Salad (this salad dish is so different with all the right flavors), Salty Fish Fried Rice (nothing too crazy, just wished they put more salty fish), Veggie Delight (OK) Overall, i would go back as portions are very big, and we always have left overs. They also give a soup of the day. I only wished the waiter took the cold dim sum off our tab, that would have been very nice. One star off = 4 out of 5.
(4)
Enza P.
My boyfriend and I came here for a well deserved lunch over the weekend. Their lunch specials menu run from 11-3PM daily. I was surprised that even on a Saturday they had them going. All lunch specials come with fried rice/steamed rice and the soup of the day. We had a very long morning so we ordered ourselves drinks as well. My boyfriend had beer while I had a glass of wine. I ordered red wine initially but they brought out Chardonnay by accident. I decided to keep it anyway and it tasted good. They give you a generous portion of wine! My boyfriend ordered the Mongolian Beef with Onions and Scallions in Hoisin Sauce with steamed rice. Meanwhile, I ordered the Crispy Tofu in Mandarin Sauce. I don't remember what kind of soup they gave us, but I remember finishing it. We decided to go halfsies on our beef and tofu. I liked both dishes but I really loved the Crispy Tofu more. It was so delicious! The sauce it came with was delicious too. The Mongolian Beef was okay, but I thought the sauce was too salty. Overall though, the drinks, food, and service was good and I would definitely come back. The pricing for lunch is honestly unbeatable. I saw the dinner menu pricing also and it seemed reasonable as well.
(4)
Charles Y.
The dim sum is overall very tasty -- particularly the bok choy and shrimp, steamed pork buns, and custard buns. However, the lobster dumplings are quite gross (they have peas and corn inside, and the steaming makes them powdery). Lobster taste = 0. They should pop this item right off the menu and never serve it again. It would be a much better restaurant if the lobster dumpling went far, far away.
(4)
Eugene L.
I was in the Mood for Chinese food so I rolled to Ginger Cafe in my Work Whip jamming the Black Eyed Peas. Ginger Cafe is located in a Newer Strip mall on ElCamino and Mathilda in Sunnyvale. I like that its in a Low Key area with plenty of Parking. I walked in and was greeted and seated . I like the Decor of the place its really nicely decorated with Asian Artifacts . It really would make a great Date spot . The place has an Elegant feel to it. I was served by a very Attractive Spinner type Waitress that was also very Sweet and Attentive. I ordered the Pan Fried Blue Crab Dumplings for an Appetizer and the Peking Duck for my Main Entree . My Server warned me that the Peking Duck would take 20 minutes , Not a problem Peking Duck is one of my faves. My Server brought me a Coke and the Blue Crab Dumplings . The Dumplings were Yummy. My Peking Duck was brought out a Little while later . It was a really nice Presentation . It came with Hoison Sauce and Pancakes. My Server also brought me the tallest bowl of Rice LOL. The Chef did an Awesome job with the Peking Duck the Skin was Perfect and Crisp. The meat was shaved off the Duck Carcass and thin sliced perfect for the Pancakes and Dipping. It was so Rich and Decadent.. Just Foodgasmic. Plus they take Discover!!! I'm a Fan!
(4)
Vik S.
Just awful. My wife and I came here for a late lunch and I have to say....yuck!! Ordered the garlic prawns, wit steamed rice, and soup of the day. Pork buns off the "dim sum" menu. The beef soup came to the table lukewarm and tasted like they just opened a can of Campbell's tomato soup, squirted some soy sauce into it, tossed in a couple pieces of beef and topped with old green onions. I ate 1 sip of it and then pushed it the hell away from me. I told the guy who took it away that I didnt care for it at all and he just shrugged. Next came the pork buns which looked and tasted like they came from someone's bun. Of course they tried to fool us with the steamer tray, but it obvious they were merely frozen and then clumsily microwaved. When our waittress noticed that 90% of it was left, I remarked, again that I didn't care for it. This time we got a nervous giggle instead of the shoulder shrug Our entrees were OK. Garlic prawns and kung pao chickeh, the meat was good and cooked nicely but the overpowering taste of salt and too much soy sauce dominated the dishes in a revolting way. We won't be back, they didn't seem to give a crap about our experience, we were just another $32 dollars into the till.
(1)
Sara P.
I had the most delicious beef and egg soup, and the kung pao chicken was incredible. I definitely will be back to try more!
(5)
Evey G.
We've gotten take out from here twice now. I love the fact that they have so many vegetarian options. Snaps for that! The food is okay. I think we'll keep looking, though. But at least it's a solid standby if needed. The vegetable chow mein has an odd spice to it which is not unpleasant, but somewhat out of place to me. I did enjoy the kung pao tofu. Solid food, for sure. Have not tried eating in the restaurant, but it's a good bet for takeout.
(3)
Lora L.
Not a fan. I ordered their pad thai which tasted nothing like the dish. It consisted of a handful of bland noodles and bland chicken and the rest cabbage. It was like eating a head of cabbage for lunch. A positive is that the staff is very nice and attentive. But i didn't pay for people to be nice to me while i'm eating mulch. Gross.
(1)
Marilyn H.
My husband and I tried Ginger Cafe for the first time last night after hearing there was an hour wait at PF Chang's across the street. We were very glad we did. The food is delicious and the menu was very interesting and enticing. A bigger table and we probably would have ordered much more. The wait staff is friendly but not very attentive. Our food took awhile to come but the waiter forgot my husband's diet coke and our combination fried rice. We eventually got the diet coke but never saw the fried rice. The staff seemed overwhelmed but stayed very nice. Eventually, our waiter apologized for the serving issues and explained they had a very large party there. For dinner, we tried the honey quail, lamb with cumin and a duck dish (can't remember the name). One observation, the tables for two are too small for the size of the entrees that come out. There wasn't enough room on the table for everything we ordered plus our plates. But we'll go back...I want to try the Dim Sum. Looked good. We'll try to pick a time when there isn't a large party dominating the time of the chef and the wait staff. Worth trying again, we'll head there first and use PF Chang as the possible alternative.
(4)
Ankur G.
me and my wife were craving some spicy asian fusion cuisine and i found this place on yelp. we ordered a carry out of chilli chicken and chicken fried rice. my rating would be: chiili chicken 3/5 chicken fried rice 4.5/5 definitely a repeat! we loved the ambiance of cafe ginger as well. next visit would surely be a dine in!
(4)
Allister D.
Finally, I have been here for the very first time and my experience was a good one! The outside of the bistro looks a bit odd? I could have sworn this was a some type of insurance place lol...anyway, the inside is great! It's sort of like an upscale asian fusion joint that consists of buddah statues, asian ancient artifacts, and holy grail achitecture. I noticed the bar which is in fact, a full service bar! There is NO HH here so don't bother asking. The service was pretty friendly. They can't really answer your question because they probably don't give a hoot. I ordered their Viet ice coffee which was kinda bland and tooooo sweet. It sucked compared to the one I had in the past. Anyway, I ordered the kung pao vegetable dish which had tofu rather than the chicken...I loved it! not too saucy and the spice was just right! I wasn't sweating off my ass while eating. The fried rice was good too because it had that eggy texture to it rather than falling off grain. The dish was affordable; $9 lunch special! I can actually say, one plate was enough. A good complaint I have for this place is the way they handle their service. My friends drink had a dead fly floating in the middle surrounded by ice cubes and I had to say something. The waiter just smiled and said oh ok. He didn't apologize or offer anything else. WOW. That is not a good sign. I will be coming back though!!
(4)
Evelyn K.
Tried out their lunch specials recently at my first internship lunch. It was tasty, comes with soup, choice of white and fried rice, and entree. We also ordered some dim sum items and of course gotta order the porcupine buns, so cute.
(4)
Tara S.
I brought my 9 year old daughter here for Valentine's Day! We LOVED it! We started with the crab/cream cheese wontons, a.k.a. crab rangoon. They're VERY good...and I'm always on the lookout for the best. We also got the sticky rice in a lotus leaf. My daughter ordered it which I thought was pretty adventurous for a 9 year old! It was also VERY good....it had mushrooms (shitake, maybe?), some kind of meat (I didn't read the menu on this one), and a salty sauce.... GOOD! For our main dishes, we got wonton soup (another surprise order from the midget) and my FAV, the vegetarian sesame chicken. The soup was AWESOME! A good broth is hard to come by, and this was perfect. They don't skimp on the wontons which I appreciate, and the bok choy wasn't at all bitter. The veggie sesame chicken is TDF (to die for)! I don't know how they get the consistency of the tofu (or whatever they use) that way, but it's like really tender chicken. The sauce is perfect...I don't know why I continue to order rice...I never eat it. At the end of the meal, we got a complimentary dessert (for Vday, maybe?) that I NEVER would have ordered on my own, but now I can't wait to go back and order it again...it was 2 little squares of gelatin with coconut cream on top and a little sprinkle of crushed peanuts. The gelatin was red and white striped...don't know the flavors, but it was sweet and tart and SOOO good!
(4)
Laura B.
Sunday morning, driving around, looking for a breakfast alternative to Denny's. Behold! Ginger Cafe. Visions of gingerbread dance in my head. Warm coffee, hot waffles, and...cocktails? A giant wall of booze and OoOooo it's Chinese-Thai fusion cuisine, of COURSE. In perhaps the most awkward showing of my Caucasian assumptions, my boyfriend and I stumbled upon this strip mall diner-mirage expecting a crowded place full of people scarfing omelets and OJ. What we got was a desolate, though lavishly decorated (for 11 am) Asian eatery. Que sera, right? Too proud to back out, we took the menus with gusto. To hell with coffee, fried rice it is. I ordered the Kung Pao Vegetarian Chicken ($8.25, lunch pricing). That's Kung Pao Chicken, but with fake chicken. You wouldn't even notice it's meat free - absolutely delicious. BF ordered the Curry Chicken ($8.75, lunch), which was a sweeter Thai curry. The vegetables in it were delicious, although I was a little turned off by the giant hunks of eggplant - but I'm not too big on eggplant in general. Both came with either steamed white or fried rice, and the portions were definitely sizable. I left full and still had enough leftover for lunch the next day. Service was kind, if not overly attentive. Comfortable dining, though I would definitely recommend it for dinner over a Sunday brunch. Overall, good asian food, though for lunch pricing I could go with a little cheaper. Portions more than make up for it though. Worth a shot, but will not satiate your waffle craving. Better luck next time :P
(3)
Stephanie N.
Really enjoyed my experience here. The server was really attentive and the food was awesome. I'm surprised since I came here on a late night and no one was in. Their veggie dishes were really awesome and their drink menu looked delish! This spot is in a totally lonely plaza and I was surprised that it's not packed with people later at night. My gripe is that it's way expensive. I guess when you're on OpenTable, you get to up the prices on the menu by $10? Geez. I definitely recommend this restaurant who wants to try some Asian-fusion/Chinese food or get dim sum all day long! The dim sum menu is limited but hey, it's really good!
(4)
Addi M.
3.5 stars, but the decor is just fantastic! I love the dark moody woods against light fabrics and bold walls. Seems like it would be a hoppin' place for a girls-night-out or something! Sunday lunch at noonish, and it was pretty dead, which we were worried was a bad sign. But we sat down and were a bit surprised by the extensive menu and options! We ordered Shanghai dumplings, which had no soup in them, but still tasty. We also had Peking Duck, and the skin was so crunchy and delightful I would have wanted a plate just of that...however, the little buns that come with the dish weren't buns. They were decoratively cut TORTILLAS. I'm dead serious. They were tortillas. And them even came in a warming container that said "torillas." I'm sorry, those just can't replace the flavor and fluffiness of the buns. But I was more humored by it than annoyed. Last, our pad thai was hardly that...more a spicy mix between pad-see-ew and chow mien. Our waitress though was really helpful and pointed out to us which items had adjustable spiciness on the menu, and informed us about the lunch menu vs. regular menu (family style, she suggested two plates). And I had a $50 gift card, so I probably feel a little swayed. Maybe I'll come back, because I'm just so in love with the interior design. Heads up, it's SUPER tricky to find. It's on the inner most lot of the corner, so you can't see it from the street!
(3)
LUCY N.
I booked Ginger Cafe for my wedding. It definitely is not your traditional Chinese banquet dinner. I loved them because they put a great authentic but unique twist to all of their plates, e.g. salmon egg-rolls, sticky rice in banana leaf, and a collie flower soup that was wonderful. I brought my parents along for the tasting, and the manger Bo actually came out to greet us and made sure that our experience was an enjoyable one. After the tasting, he even sat with us to make sure our menu order for our wedding was exactly to our preference. Bo even went as far as to work with my wedding planner to accommodate us and go an extra mile to make our wedding a dream come true. As busy as my wedding day was, I even remember seeing Bo again, and meeting the rest of his kitchen staff. It was also a plus hearing that our guests loved our food and could not get enough of it! I highly recommend Ginger Cafe as your wedding caterer..ask for Bo!
(5)
Tejaswi Kumar S.
The lunch menu is good, all items come with soup and rice. We ordered calamarized ginger shrimp and chilly chicken. Both were crispy and tasty. But I observed that the quality of food not consistent.
(3)
Yuna J.
I have been to ginger cafe twice and was so happy with the food and service. ordered the blue Hawaii and it was so good. as for appetizers, we had the crab rangoons, hai gow, lobster dumplings. the lobster dumplings were so good, I can't even explain it. its definitely worth trying. we also had the tamarind seafood soup, and that was HEAVENLY. there was so much seafood packed into the soup. the soup was flavored just right, not too sour, not too spicy or sweet. I had 3 bowls of that good stuff all by myself! the service was great, the waiters and waitresses dont wait for you to ask them, they come to you! I plan on being a regular here, I like the food so much!!
(5)
Elaine T.
One day I was craving some dim sum and I remembered seeing a flyer for this place somewhere so we decided to go check it out. I was excited cause there's not that many good places around the area for dim sum. 2 out of the 3 orders of dim sum came with RAW shrimp. When I bit into the first bite it was warm on the outside and COLD and a little icy on the inside, I looked at what I had just bit into and there it was, shrimp that was still gray. I called over our server and showed it to him. He politely apologized and took it away. I cut into the second order and it was the same... When he came back with the cooked dim sum, he apologized again. It wasn't really a big deal for me cause... well, s*** happens. lol. But I liked that they owned up to it and gave us a discount for the mishap. Other than that, the rest of the food was pretty good and the place itself was really nice. It was a little expensive, but since we got a special little discount it wasn't all that bad. Had the shrimp incident not have happened I probably would've given them 5 stars.
(3)
Randy F.
My original plan had been to finally go to Fu Lam Mum and try their dim sum, but the crazy lines outside on Mother's Day made me rethink my plans. Not having anywhere else in mind, I figured I'd drive along El Camino Real until something struck my fancy. That's when I saw the sign for Ginger Cafe. It was fairly quiet inside for a Sunday but the decor was nicer than I expected for a "cafe." Definitely reminiscent of PF Chang's and I expected similar Americanized fare. The menu was a peculiar hodge-podge of Thai (Tom Yum Gong soup, curries) and Chinese (Hot and Sour soup, Hong Kong fried noodles). For Sunday, they even had a dim sum menu, so I got to have some dim sum after all! Not expecting much, I ordered a sticky rice wrapped with lotus leaf and a porcupine custard dessert. We finished the order by trying the Braised E Noodle dish with shrimp ($12). The sticky rice was actually decent and much better than I expected from a place that wasn't doing the volume of any dim sum house. The porcupine custard dessert was another surprise and tasted delicious. It was wonderfully creative and a cute presentation (see pic). Finally, the braised E Noodle came. As expected, it was Americanized and mediocre. For me, the most disappointing part was that I was in the mood for e-fu noodles and the noodles that came were borderline e-fu type, despite the description. Rather than warm and fluffy, they were dry and chewy. If I had to guess, I would have said they were a different type of noodle altogether but I wasn't 100% sure. That's what you get for ordering a standard dim sum house staple (usually lobster or crab w/ dry or soup e-fu noodles). Since it was Mother's Day, they thew in a complimentary dessert and the service was all-around attentive, prompt and polite. I'm not sure where Ginger Cafe fits into the local food scene, but if they can find and strengthen their identity, perhaps they'll have a chance to stand out. BTW they don't take Amex because the staff mentioned Amex charges much higher fees than Visa/Mastercard. Good to know, but I still love my Amex.
(3)
Marlyn A.
Food: 3 stars Service: 0 stars This is one of the places where, regardless of how good the food is, the service actually matters. Honestly, because the service was so bad I could hardly recall what even ordered. We ordered so much food that afternoon too. We really went all out. First off, the waiter came by asked if we were ready to order and we told him to give us a few minutes. 15 minutes passed and even when we walked passed us at nearby tables calling for him didn't even help, he just ignored us. I was forced to get out of my seat and search for our waiter to ask HIM if he was ready...WTF? Second of all, after receiving our bill we found that they charged us for food that never made it to the table. Turns out that they gave our food to the table next to us. Well ain't that nice, they get a free meal. Ugh! And third of all, this really puts the cherry on top. After asking them to pack our food to go the man accidentally drops the food onto the floor and had the audacity to ask us "Did you still want that?" Um...no? So we figure, we ask them to remove it from our bill and told us that they'd only take off a partial amount since it wasn't a full order: go figure, 3 out of 4 dumplings should still be charged for a partial order? Seriously? These people baffle me. Don't let this place fool you and seriously, if you're going to play that hit or miss game on this place: just be prepared for disappointment so you won't have high expectations.
(1)
Kel W.
This place seems like a mini P.F. Chang's with it's decor. Fancy looking. Lunch specials are pretty good and come with your choice of fried rice or steamed rice and a bowl of hot and sour soup. I've always opted for the fried rice. My go-to plate is the Satay Three Delights. A little more expensive than the others but it's got everything in it, veggies, chicken, shrimp and calamari with a tasty satay sauce. I've also gone with the Potato Beef which was good. Potatoes and beef, simple as that but it works. Service is attentive as well. Next time I'd want to try their Dim Sum menu.
(4)
Dimplesz D.
Love ginger cafe! If dont have time or too tired to cook ginger cafe is the place to be!
(4)
Andrea B.
My friends and I were starving in Sunnyvale one day, and nothing was open at an awkward time on Sunday afternoon except Ginger Cafe. We were pleasantly surprised, since I honestly expected much worse... The Happy Hour menu is actually pretty reasonably priced. For higher prices, I probably would have given a worse review, but I always believe in quality of food in relation to price when deciding stars. I'd give the happy hour menu 4 stars, but the rest of the entree only 3 stars. Wish I could give 3.5! For appetizers off the HH menu, we started with the the fresh soft shell crab rolls, which were light and delicious with a great sauce. My friends got the cream cheese crab rangoons which were also pretty tasty and not too heavy. For my entree, I got the lettuce turkey wraps. I found these very tasty, but the lettuce came in huge leaves. They literally took an iceburg lettuce and peeled off 10 whole leaves. Pretty crappy presentation, but the turkey was decent, and it left me satisfied but not stuffed. For entrees, my friends got kung pao chicken and basil chicken - these were probably the worst things we ordered. They wished they stuck to the happy hour menu, and I recommend you do too. All in all - not bad if you stick to HH! Beer and cocktails were also super cheap!
(3)
Aubrey C.
Ginger Cafe gives off a "poor man's P.F. Chang's" vibe. Not necessarily with respect to the food, which is fresher and less sodium-laden than the Americanized horror that is P.F. Chang's, but with regard to decor. Ginger Cafe has a modernized, fusion-y cafe look to it. I came here recently for lunch since I wanted to try their "all day dim sum." First, I have to say that the dim sum wasn't great -- it was average, but it could have been MUCH worse. In fact, Ginger Cafe's dim sum is probably the same as (or better) than a lot of specialty dim sum restaurants in the South Bay (or anything but the Peninsula/SF area). So from that perspective, it's not bad. The siu mai (pork dumplings) weren't as tender as they should be, but like I said, average dim sum. I also ordered a sauteed chicken with vegetables dish to see how good their actual dishes were. Like the dim sum, it was average -- not amazingly good, but at the same time, not bad. It was certainly less salty and sauce-laden than the stuff at P.F. Chang's or even Panda Express. As long as you know what to expect from Ginger Cafe, you won't be disappointed. Don't expect amazing, authentic Chinese food and you'll do just fine.
(3)
Robert L.
Ginger Cafe Date: 2/2/2012 7:30 PM Upon entering the restaurant, the ambience was quiet, relaxing, and dim. First thing I saw was a bar and a server ready to show you a table. The main dining area was a circular area and the ceilings were high. I also remembered small square tables singles and couples and maybe a few for a group of 3-4. There were also a lot of modern aspirations with touches of Asia in the design of the restaurant. Overall, not bad (especially the bathroom). [Score: 4/5] Food: [Three Delights Sizzling Rice Soup][Score: 4/5] The soup was the appetizer dish and it tasted pretty good. The broth was flavorful and the shrimp and calamari didn't taste rubbery. The carrots were cut thinly into shapes of small flowers, which gave it a nice anesthetic look. The snow peas was just there for color I think. Finally, the sizzling rice was interesting because it added a charred flavor to the dish. There wasn't too much rice in the soup so it wasn't heavy. Overall, not bad for a starter. [Peking Duck (Half)][Score: 2/5] The Peking Duck looked exactly as I would expect it to be besides it being laid on top of a piece of lettuce along with some chives, cucumber, and carrots on the side. Also, the thin pancakes came in a separate container. The Peking Duck looked nice but it tasted dry. Duck is a fatty bird and I was expecting more fat juices to gush out whenever I take a bite. Because I'm used to eating Peking Duck with a lot of flavor juices, I was extremely disappointed. The thin pancakes (technically tortillas in my opinion) didn't help either. If the duck wasn't good then the rest of the dish didn't really worked as well. Even when I combined all the elements: pancake with a layer of Hoisin sauce and some duck meat and veggies eaten like a taco, it just didn't taste right with that dry piece of duck. Overall, the dish had flavor but it could have been better. [Salty Fish Fried Rice][Score: 4/5] Salty Fish Fried Rice was a dish I used to eat a lot when I was younger. The good thing about this dish was that it wasn't too salty therefore it was good for people watching their sodium intake. The bad thing about this dish that it might not have been salty enough. The asparagus was something different as well. It had a smokey grill flavor which added a different element versus just stir fried vegetables. The eggs were fluffy and the rice wasn't too oily for me. Another good thing was that the fish and chicken wasn't dry. If the meat was dry then this dish would've been disastrous. Overall, not too bad for fried rice. Might have to add more salt if you need it. [X.O Scallops with Tofu][Score: 1/5] This dish was probably ordered because I was with my little brother at the time. He looked at the picture and the description said scallop, tofu, and X.O. sauce. I personally thought the picture of this dish would make someone not order it but I guess I was wrong. Anyways, we tried it and here's my review. (Can't be on Yelp if you're not willing to try new things). First taste was no surprise. I knew I did not like this dish. On top of a piece of fried tofu was a piece of scallop and on top of them both was a smothering sauce that looked like a mixture of bacon bits and the X.O. sauce. I believe the nice green piece of snow piece was just for garnish and to add color. The fried tofu was soggy because of the smothering sauce. I think the scallop might have been seared but the sauce was also smothering it. If you haven't noticed by now to where I'm going with this, I believed this bacon and X.O. sauce mixture was the culprit killing this dish. I'm just guessing the bacon and X.O. sauce must have been cooked together rather than being cooked as separate items put together. The salty bacon flavor was just too strong and overpowering. I don't think I could taste anything else on this dish because of it. Bacon is not an ingredient that I normally see in Asian cooking. After tasting this dish, the two still probably don't belong together. Overall, I don't recommend this. If you're a pure bacon lover, then I'm just curious as to what is your opinion about this dish. [Porcupine Custard Bun][Score: 5/5] This dish our dessert and it was pretty much just an egg custard bun. I have to admit that the porcupine look does make it unique but it was not necessary. At first I thought it was baked but when I looked on the menu again, it said it was fried. Was this a typo? I'm not sure but it was delicious when I ate it. The outside was buttery and crunchy from what I remember and the egg custard inside was oozing hot, rich, and tasty. Overall, it was a tasty traditional recipe with a lot of emphasis on the porcupine design. (Technically, I think resembles more of a certain blue hedgehog more than a porcupine.) Overall, the Ginger Cafe was a nice modern-style fusion restaurant. I had my hit and misses with the food. Not sure where I stand on it. And finally, prices for what I've eaten were too much I think.
(3)
April B.
Prices are very high. I did not like the wonton soup. Will not be back to try other things due to the high prices.
(2)
Karen P.
Went here with Nance H. The food was just ok .. nothing special, pretty average. Most of their entree cost around $14 ish, so I suggest that you get the dinner for two special for $30 (4 course meal). Cute cosy decor though! Great for dates or to catch up with a friend. :) Would I eat here again? Sure Would I go out of my way to eat here? Probably not.
(3)
Jennifer M.
I enjoyed the food at Ginger Cafe. There are quite a few items on the menu and everything my family and I ordered was tasty. We tried a few items on their dim sum list. The taste was standard at best. I have had better dim sum in a handful of locations in the area. I do recommend the lunch and dinner dishes. The mango chicken is decent and vegetable dishes are great! The appetizers are fun but don't fill up before the main course. Save room for those the minced vegetable lettuce cups and pineapple fried rice.
(4)
Tanay N.
This place is nice for a random dinner here and there. It's much closer to PF Chang's style of Chinese food. They have a nice drink selection, and I really like the appetizers -- especially the lettuce wraps and steamed dumplings. The crispy tofu in Mandarin sauce is my favorite dish. Not the cheapest Chinese place in the area, but it's good from time to time for sure.
(4)
Joty H.
Great food and ambiance, definitely will be returning soon.
Their vegetarian dishes are yummy, I've only gone here once though. The atmosphere and service is exquisite.
(3)
Janie V.
My bf and I came here once for dinner. It was pretty packed. But luckily we got seated right away. The decor is very interesting. Not at all what I imagined for a cafe. There's also a bar right by the front entrance. Interesting indeed. I saw pictures of their dim sum on the tv screen. Guess they also serve dim sum here. Have yet to try it though. The food was mediocre. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't fantastic either. Prices are pretty high, but this is more American Chinese food. I would compare Ginger Cafe to PF Chang's across the street. Very similar styles of food and pricing. Service was a bit lacking that night. Could be because it was so busy. It took a while for them to refill our tea. We ordered a rice dish that apparently they mistakenly gave to us first when it was for another table that came before us. But we just ate it because we had to eat and run to the airport. I'm not sure if they noticed afterwards. Anyway, pretty pricey for the food. Don't know if I'll come back. Maybe for the dim sum just to try it. But I doubt it.
(3)
Daisy T.
Ooooooh... it's so pretty inside! *____* Came here to have lunch while at work and I was amazed at how beautiful it was inside. The building doesn't look like much, but inside everything is so nicely designed with the perfect combination of colors. And plenty of windows to let the afternoon light in! I went for one of their lunch specials. All their specials come with soup, one dish and choice of white rice or egg fried rice. You can add a lunch salad for another $1. For my dish I chose the tamarind prawns for $10.50 (but their other lunch specials are less than that around $8). Wow! Even the plate layout looked pretty! It had tons of sweet and sour tamarind flavor. There was almost too much sauce for my rice. I also tasted my friends' Mongolian beef and crispy tofu in mandarin sauce. Both had tons of flavor! In fact, everything had tons of flavor! I hope it's not from using a lot of MSG. And for dessert I HAD to try the fried porcupine custard buns. They were just too cute! The custard inside was sweet and smooth as it should be. I could eat a ton of these. =) Definitely a good lunch spot. I will be back!
(4)
C M.
OMG.......This place is still around?? Their "food" is hideous!! The food was truly unedible. And I love to eat! My mom's lunch special was disgusting and just the looks of it made me sick. HOW ON earth does this place survive? My food tasted and looked like a can of condensed cream on rice. I will NEVER ever go back and waste my money. ONE good thing: The waiter was delightful and we tipped him well, but OMG, this place is gross.
(1)
Anu M.
I have been to Ginger Cafe a couple of times during lunch and I really like their lunch menu. I recently went to this restaurant for dinner; ordered a Coconut Milk Soup and Curry Chicken; thought that the food was good, but not great. The ambiance is pretty nice and the service is friendly.
(3)
Candice T.
I wanted to like this restaurant more than I ended up. But then again, I ordered the mango chicken, against the explicit warnings of my boyfriend and several yelp reviews. The chili chicken was fabulous-tasting but odd in texture. Steamed pork buns are like fluffy angel wings and magic in my mouth. Decor was a hundred times more classy than PF Changs. Service was attentative and accommodating. In an odd bit of luck, I ran into my girlfriend that lives in the crazy world of unintentional humor. Funny seeing her there. I'll be back to try more recommended dishes.
(3)
Teju A.
Got a nice surprise when I walked in here on a whim recently. Waitstaff was super nice and offered me a glass of water though I only ordered take out. Nice music and interesting decor to keep the ears and eyes busy while waiting. The food came out quickly and hot and while not all traditional dim sum, pretty yummy.
(3)
Michael W.
This place is one of my go to places when I just want to have some good food. I have pretty much had everything on the menu and trust me you really can't go wrong here with anything on the menu. The cuisine here is a chinese fusion of influences from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and California. For me this is perfect, because I grew up eating dishes from these countries and its so great that Ginger Cafe brings them all together under one roof. The service is great here and it is very clean and very well maintained. I have been eating here for more than 4 years and it still looks just as clean as when they first opened, its quite amazing really. Here are some of the items I usually like to get: Dim Sum is served all day! Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf - Very well done here. The sticky rice is very fragrant and the mix of chick, pork, chinese sausage and shitake mushrooms blend with the lotus leaf aroma to yield this savory delectable package of goodness. Sesame Balls - They are mini in size and fried perfectly every time. Some might say the skin is a little on the thicker side, but because of the small size, I think its fine. The they have flavor and frying technique correct. Chinese Sausage Papaya Salad - I almost always start with this. The green papaya, basil, onion and fish sauce vinaigrette is so refreshing that it does a great job in open up my appetite. They also top the dish with thin strips of chinese sausage that they crisp in a pan, which makes them super fragrant and adds an excellent crispy chewy meat texture to the dish that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Basil Chicken - Superb! This is a dish that I get every time and I don't get tired of making it. They really pull in the Thai influences with this dish, because the chicken is cooked to perfection. I am very impressed at how well they cook the chicken in this dish. The flavors of the chicken, garlic, bamboo shoots, shitake mushrooms, basil and scallions are in perfect harmony in this dish. It really sings. Get this one! Filet Mignon Luc Lac - A Vietnamese influence dish very similar to the shaking beef dish you can find in most vietnamese restaurants. The meat is prepared very well and the flavor is excellent. Crispy tofu in Mandarin Sauce - Wonderful! This dish consists of fried tofu tossed in a spicy mandarin sauce. It has a great mouth feel with the contrasting textures and flavors of the tofu being sweet, spicy, crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside. I order this one a lot too. Veggie Delight - A nice sauteed vegetable dish with a nice delicate flavor. Salty Fish Fried Rice - I try to get this everywhere I go as a gauge of the chef's skill, because I like this dish a lot and Ginger Cafe does a good job, they do it right here with just enough salty fish to get the nice fishy, salty punch it needs every few bites. Get this dish only if you like salty fish, because the taste and smell are very pungent. You've been warned (this is a good and bad thing depending on how you look at it). Red Bean Mango Shots - YES! I never leave without ordering this. Its a shot glass with Longan, red bean, mango and whipped cream. The light cooling flavor of the longan, with the thicker, richer red bean sweetness blends very nicely with the fragrant tropical sweetness of the mango. You top that with some fluffy whipped cream and its like eating firecracker of different sweetnesses. If you're in the area and have a hankering of asian food, try Ginger Cafe and try out my recommendations especially if its your first time. If you're lucky you will see me there too. Happy eating!
(4)
Jason F.
Regarding price, I did not think the prices were too high with respect to the portion sizes and food quality. They currently have an offer where you get a free beer or wine selection if you order an appetizer before 6. We ordered: Shrimp & Calamari on Fried Crackers (appetizer): 6 pieces, pretty good except the cracker had a slight sweet taste that didn't go well with the dish. For the kids we ordered a wide noodle dish with asparagus + broccoli (not on the menu) and they loved it. Quality of the chicken and broccoli was great. Chardonnay Mushrooms: I really like the concept and they were cooked just right (dish takes longer than other dishes), but the sauce was bad. It was kind of a mashup between a thick hot and sour soup plus sweet and sour sauce. I have no idea why the word "Chardonnay" appears in the name -- not that I would want a Chardonnay sauce, but the dish had no resemblance to Chardonnay in the slightest. Unfortunately, that kind of ruined the dish. I hope they experiment and improve on the sauce. Eggplant Tofu: Excellent -- sauce and flavor were perfect. Very generous portion, and it included green beans that were cooked perfectly. Overall, I really like the menu, selection, and they have a full bar. It's kid friendly, but not noisy. The service is okay, and decore is nice. There are a lot of things on the menu I'd like to try, but since it's a little pricey (but worth it), it will take some time to go through it.
(4)
jas k.
Great Chinese food, very very nice ambience and friendly staff. OK FOOD......fried tilapia with chili and garlic was mouth blowing :) (ooops watering) . also, veggie fried rice and chicken hot and sour soup was soo tasty. Even our 2 year old ate well and liked sitting here....so all in all a very pleasant experience. i would highly recommend this place as a great alternative to pf changs and also folks from india will love this place as it will remind of the better chinese restaurants back home.
(5)
Rocker K.
This place looks small on the outside but it's bigger than it looks. The interior is nice and most of the food is good. Also, the service is fairly good too. My friend Tina told me about this place and I remembered it from a elite yelp event from last year. They serve dim sum all day so I had to try that since I love dim sum. I got something with shrimp in it and Tina got lobster dim sun. The outside was too starchy. Tina agreed that it was too starchy. I got the lunch special which comes with soup of the day which was hot and sour soup. I think it was less than $10.00. For the entree, I got the spicy crispy tofu. It came with rice and the portion was just right, not too big, but not too small. I liked that. For dessert, we got the porcupine dim sum. No, real porcupine wasn't in it. I'm not into eating stuff that most people in America wouldn't eat. It's called that since it's a shaped like a porcupine and has custard in it. I had it at the yelp elite event and liked it. Tina thought it was cute and liked it too. I think I paid $4.00 for three of those. The food is Asian fusion I think. I dislike most fusion food, but the food here was mostly good. The seafood soup they had looks good. There are pictures of most items that's on the menu so you can get a good idea of what you're going to get. Also, they have lots of differnt kinds of exotic looking cocktails. This location is in a strip mall and parking is plentiful. I'm sure that I'll be back to try more of their stuff in the future.
(4)
Alariza N.
My friends at work and I absolutely adore coming here during happy hour! I am a huge fan of their $4 maitais and margaritas during happy hour. They also have this amazing menu during that time where you can get an appetizer that comes with a glass of wine or a glass of beer. I'm a huge fan of their entire happy hour menu. I sadly have never been here during regular business hours, but I can tell you, if you've had a hard day at the office, like many of my girlfriends and I have, this is a great place to unwind and have a few laughs after work. I do wish the staff would be a bit quicker at taking your order. I feel like because its happy hour, they aren't as quick at getting to your table. That's only mine and my friends opinion. Other than that, the prices are very reasonable and the food is very tasty. The Maitai is my favorite cocktail on the menu: very strong, yet tasty! I highly recommend them for their Happy hour!!!! :)
(4)
Thomas C.
Best of luck to other customers. I stand firm with my first comment prior to the update. I received a quick apology with an invitation to go back from the manager through a Yelp message, but weeks have gone by and I have not received what Tuyen had mentioned. At this point it wouldn't matter. There are plenty of other restaurants which are tried and true for our company gatherings. Thank you. UPDATE: Tuyen C, owner/manager of Ginger Cafe had taken quick response to the matter I had stated below and takes full responsibility of what happened. He had asked for my mailing address for an offer to visit Ginger Cafe (398 W. El Camino, Sunnyvale) to give it another chance. I will bring a special guest with me in the near future and we will update this post afterwards. Thank you Ginger Cafe. Where should I start? I been here before and recalled a garlic chicken dish and the waitress with BRIGHT RED lipstick, the only one there who stood out, told me that she's been there for a while an had no clue what I was talking about. Her response should of been, "We don't have that dish right now, but let me check to see if we can make it for you or ask "THE CHEF." Her tone and posture showed as if I was making that dish up and that I did not know what I was talking about. She was waitressing multiple tables and I noticed her staring into space often when we needed her help. There was a nice waitress, the shorter asian girl, and she was nice enough to check on our table and ask if we needed to box p our left overs. Then the org waitress came back and just handed our check and did not ask if we wanted dessert. This is the reason for 3 stars and if the owner is reading this, please train the waitress. I try new places to bring my work related meetings to - this place would of been a great place except for that one experience and that's all it takes.
(3)
Sean Y.
Good service, very nice location, good food. Price is reasonable as well. Dishes were not unique or distinctly flavorful, but I won't hesitate to stop in for a good meal (price is right, good service & ambiance).
(4)
Paulette L.
Second time coming here - first was dinner, today was lunch. Dinner was pricey, lunch wasn't too bad. We came well after the lunch rush, around 2pm, and it was Sunday. We were the 2nd table they were serving, so got prompt service. Ambiance - great decor, okay service, kinda small, but cozy. We ordered: - Steamed pork buns (3): yummy, piping hot, fluffy, not too saucy. - Shrimp dumpling, Ha Gai i think...? (3): big shrimp inside, pretty good. I like that when you bite into it, juice doesn't squirt out. - Sweet & sour pork lunch special. Comes with soup and rice. Soup was pretty good, very "egg-y". Pork was very tasty and lean, again not too saucy or sweet, could use more bell peppers though. Decent sized portion, at least for one person. We split though, and it was just right. - Sesame balls: my FAVORITE. There were 6 bite sized pieces, did not taste greasy at all. Hard to find good sesame balls - I have finally found my favorite. Why the 3 stars? Well the prices aren't exactly cheap for dim sum, but considering it's a little Americanized, what can you expect I guess. Just feels like I'm paying for the decor versus the food and service. My water never got filled, so I ended up drinking my hub's water too (I'm a thirsty preggo!). Overall, a better deal for lunch. But then again, hubs and I don't eat very much so don't get your hopes up - the portions are a little on the small side. We'll probably come back, now that we know what to order.
(3)
Julian M.
Coworkers and I came here for a dim sum lunch. It wasn't bad--it just wasn't particularly great when there are so many dim sum places in the area. Thick skins, moderate selection. The porcupine pineapple buns are awesome, though. Not to be missed!
(2)
Allison D.
This place is not bad but don't come here expecting authentic Chinese food. The waiters and cooks are everything but Asian. For the most part the food is good. They have lunch specials that are pretty affordable. The appetizers were pretty good too but it was a little expensive for 4 potstickers! The restaurant itself is pretty nice.. Very clean and modern looking.. Almost like a smaller PF Changs.. Same kind of Asian fusion food offering as well.
(3)
Ann H.
Food is good and I really like the space. The apps are the way to go. Service could be a little friendlier but I would come back. Potato Beef plate was tasty.
(4)
Trying T.
This is normally a default place for me when having lunch with colleagues from out of the country. They all seemed to like the ambiance and of course the asian food (ie. little plates (aka dimsum) was nice prepared and I have to admit that it taste pretty good. The lobster dimsum, the sea bass, lettuce chicken cups, and mushu chicken was worth ordering.
(4)
Tetsu N.
Today, I grabbed Akemi, Cindy N., and Michael C. for a lunch and because we wanted to try something new, Akemi mentioned she had seen Ginger Cafe a few times and that she had been meaning to try it. I quick look on Yelp showed a widely disparate set of reviews, so we decided to see for ourselves. The food was Asian Fusion. And the dishes were interesting creations. To me, this place is a 2.5. Why? For one simple reason: the only though left in my mind when leaving was....Meh, I've had better. Does that mean I wouldn't go here again? If there's a group thing here, I'd go no problem, but if it's my choice, there is a pretty decent list of other restaurants in the area I'd choose above this one. It's not the lack of authenticity that lowers the star rating. Frankly, it just didn't have any dishes that stood out. Some of the dishes were cute and interesting, but the taste just didn't excite me. The location. It's easy to get to, but kind of hidden, so it's not the kind of place you would stumble upon. Once inside, the place is very bright and clean, if slightly claustrophobic, even though there's plenty of seating and space aplenty to get around. There's also a bar area. I don't know if they serve have a full bar, but I'd guess so. We sat in a curved u shaped booth and ordered some interesting looking dishes. First off, some dim sum: - Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf This wasn't bad, not bad at all. But there was nothing about it that particularly stood out, and it really wasn't as sticky as I usually expect it to be. - Pan Fried Blue Crab Dumpling Now, this was an interesting dish. When I think dumpling, I think thick and round or thick and oblong or semi-thick and crescent shaped. I don't think super thin, which this was. But that's just the size and dimensions....taste-wise, it wasn't bad at all. Crispy on the outside and ncie and soft on the inside. And the taste of crab was very clear, not hidden in other tastes like you sometimes get with crab mixed dishes. - Porcupine Custard Bun Now here was a cool dish. If Ginger Cafe was closer, I might just order this and tea for a real coffee shop style snack. The baked and nicely crusted outer skin of the bun was beautifully glossy and smooth, with finely cut "spikes" in the skin that lifted up during the baking process giving the porcupine look. tiny sesame seeds were placed just so, with the pointy end facing backwards and a little up to really give a sense of cute little eyes. Clearly, a lot of care went into the visual representation of this little dish, and I was wholly impressed with it. What also struck me was the consistency of care in detail for both pieces that came with the order. Taste-wise, it has a thick and rick center with a perhaps overly thickened custard. A lighter filling would have been preferred for my tastes, but all in all, this is a dish to be proud of. - Pot Sticker. Unlike Japanese style potstickers, these had a crusty skin. Though pan fried, I think the skin used had more oil than normal and frankly looked almost deep fried. It was good though. Nothing to complain about. - Peking Duck Tasted like......peking duck. The visual presentation didn't have as much care as some other restaurant's versions of the same dish, but there wasn't anything particular wrong with this version. - Eggplant Tofu Again, here, there was nothing wrong with the dish, the garlic sauce wasn't too garlicky (is that even a word??), and that's about all I really have to say about it....Oh yes, it was a touch on the spicy side. Which I like, but won't be a good fit for everyone. If you want mild, I think you can just ask them to dial back the spices a bit. And that's all we had. Apart from the Porcupine Custard Bun, all other dishes I really could have done without. Oh yes, one other annoyance. Just because this is an Asian Fusion restaurant, doesn't mean that it's soooo Westernized that they should charge $2.50 for tea....I mean....it's tea! Most places charge $0.00 for jasmine, green, or oolong tea. How annoying.... All in all, for what we got, we paid $17.50 a person. That alone drops the star rating when the food is of this quality. If they put as much care into all their dishes as they put into the porcupine custard bun, I bet business would pick up for them! Best of luck Ginger Cafe, I'm sure fate will bring me to your place again one day, and I hope by then your main dishes get a light freshening. So close, just another step or two and I'll be a fan.
(2)
Sankaran S.
Good quantity and pretty good variety and taste. Would go again
(4)
Kamal P.
This place was way nicer than I expected based on its outside appearance and the name, the interior was very classy and contemporary. As a vegetarian, I loved the food, and even my friend, who eats meat, really enjoyed all the vegetarian food. The minced vegetable lettuce wraps were awesome, as was the kung pao veggie chicken.
(4)
Amy B.
I love this place! Their food was a HUGE hit at our wedding in Berkeley, where they catered. Their staff was incredibly professional, with really high standards, but still friendly. Bo (Manager) and Tuyen (Kitchen Manager) were great to work with. We found out our event space's kitchen area didn't allow any gas cooking, so these guys set up on the SIDEWALK across the street and ran the food into the venue. And it was still delicious and hot. Anytime we're in Sunnyvale, we're going to Ginger Cafe.
(5)
Rick S.
I'll keep this relatively short and sweet... as it's been 3 weeks since I tried this place. But you know what? I really liked Ginger Cafe. Having eaten at Fu-kee Restaurant many, many times (off of Bernal in South San Jose) where the food is QUITE good for a quasi-fast-food restaurant... we kept hearing about other, slightly more upscale restaurants the owners run -- the two Ginger Cafes (this one in Sunnyvale; and they have another in Gilroy, which is actually closer to where I live-- so I will try that as well soon). The cool thing about Ginger Cafe/Sunnyvale (and I assume the Gilroy location will be the same) that in a world of cookie cutter eating establishments, GC does just enough to feel unique.. without being too pretentious. It also doesn't try to be too many things to too many people. Yet, the Asian-fusion flair allows it to be more than just a Chinese, a Vietnamese, a Japanese, or a Korean restaurant. It takes the better parts from several culinary cultures... and melds them quite well into a very nice, very tasty menu (hence the word "fusion", eh?) But it goes even further... for it does away with the fairly typical, understated look of many Asian eateries (you know, clean, white table-clothed venues with a bit of cultural arts scattered about). At Ginger, the decor makes a statement... and a rather GOOD one at that. You have to take notice of it while in the dining area; and you feel good being part of it. Quite comfortable. You feel like you're dining in a place where the owners have taken great care working on the meals served and the comfort, attractiveness and design of where you eat this good food. Cute even how they offer up these fun "specialty" cocktails, like you're on a mini-vacation somewhere. I will definitely be back... well, probably back to the one in Gilroy, since it may be closer. But other restaurants should take note of this successful formula. The food was very good, I felt like I was eating somewhere very unique, the service was very good... and I wasn't hit over the head with a huge bill in the end. Gong xi ! Omedetou! Selamat! Chuk ha hae! Kam sà -daeng kwaam yin-dee ! and.. Mazel Tov!
(4)
Charlene M.
We've been here several times over the years. The ambiance is nice, the service is good and the food is tasty. Some of the dishes we tried were seafood chow mein, shrimp with walnuts and spring rolls. We once had pork medallions that were out of this world. However, to our disappointment, the next time we ordered it, it was not nearly as good. Oh well. They have interesting Asian decor and ambiance appropriate for a quiet dinner out. Would definitely go there again.
(4)
Lily R.
Ehhh. I have eaten at the Gilroy location and had a better experience there. For some reason the food didn't WOW me this time. What I come here for turned out to be not so good. Lunch for 4 was about $60. (incl tip) Honey Walnut Prawns- C+ Thai Pineapple Rice- B- Chow Mein - C+ Crab and Cream Cheese appetizers- B+ Orange Chicken- C I would rather make a trip out to McCarthy Ranch for more authentic Chinese food. This place was a miss.
(3)
Robert N.
A friend convinced me to come here for a date instead of PF Chang across the street... and I'm glad I trusted her judgment. It doesn't look like much from the outside, being the corner space of a strip mall off El Camino, but by the time you get inside you know you're in for a good experience. Nicely decorated, a bit noisy but not as much as that other option. Many good choices... we went with the lemongrass chicken, potato beef, and lettuce wraps, and a small bowl of rice between us. It was more than enough for two people, and if we hadn't been heading for a comedy show afterward, we would have taken the leftovers with us. I'll be going back, definitely... more things to try.
(3)
Krystal N.
Really? I don't understand all the good reviews for this place. The food here is mediocre at best and I've been here enough times so it wasn't just a one time flop. The quality of food is not the best and it just doesn't taste very good. And the dim sum items...ughhh I would never come here for dim sum. The atmosphere and service is alright but I just wish their food was better.
(2)
Nisha S.
This is an absolutely AMAZING restaurant! First of all, they have Dim Sum ALL DAY! The Shrimp dumplings are to DIE for! Second, they have a lot of dishes catered to vegetarians ranging from veggies to fake meat. However, I absolutely love meat and they have a good selection of meat dishes as well. Although the well known P.F. Chang's is across the street, you will have much better, tastier, and cheaper food at Ginger Cafe. I have been there multiple times and cannot remember a dish that I did not love!
(5)
A C.
I ate dinner here recently. Decor is very clean and artistic. Decent restaurant for a date. Asian food, not Chinese food exclusively. The price range of main plates is roughly ~$20-30. Easy to find and ample parking on a weeknight. Our waitress seemed inexperienced and slow. Although there were only 3 tables occupied, she was either nowhere to be found or she was using the restaurant computer for a really long time. She should have checked on us more often. Luckily, there were other people regularly filling our water glasses. So, other staff was good. We ordered: -Tamarind Seafood Hot Pot: Tasty but a little too spicy for me (btw, I usually don't like spicy food). If I could tolerate the spiciness then I would probably order this. The soup base and the catfish were good. -Peking Duck(Half): Somewhat good. Because I have had very delicious and authentic Peking Duck before, it is hard not to compare the Chinese authentic traditional dish to this dish. It was well-made, but I'm sure no Chinese food lover would prefer this over really good quality roast duck. Although i enjoyed this dish, it just wasn't something that I'd ever crave. Good, but not the best. -Vegetarian Chicken Crispy Tofu: First of all, I'm a meat eater through and through (unfortunately for my health). And, I don't like tofu. I don't know why, but I never liked tofu. However, in order to always try new things if possible, I tried a sampling of this dish. yes, this is good. Tofu tasted like tofu. The crispiness on the outside was interesting and good. The toppings on tofu were DELICIOUS! Really really good. We were all eating it up. I loved it. I might return to this place, but I'm not sure. All they need to do is get me hooked on one dish and I'd return.
(3)
Brendan B.
The service was amazing. The company up in Silicon Valley I had a job interview with was reimbursing me for my meals while I was up there, but only if I had an itemized receipt. I lost the receipt while traveling back home. I called up the restaurant, and the hostess was nice enough to scan and email me the receipt when I got home. That's $24 that just went back into my pocket. Also get the scallop puffs. It's ooey gooey goodness in a thicker than normal wonton wrapper.
(5)
Michael C.
Is this really supposed to be fusion? Everything in the restaurant made it look really Chinese. Well... at least Shanghai when Westerners started coming over, so maybe that's how it's fusion. If you look at Tetsu N's review, the food that we had, at least to me, was pretty much Chinese food, and for the most part, pretty mediocre Chinese food. When I think of medicore Chinese food that's been deemed as "fusion", I usually think PF Chang's. That's exactly what I thought of the food here. In fact, the only thing "fusion" about this place to me was that the waitstaff was primarily hispanic, and I am guessing so was the kitchen staff, but they were preparing and serving Chinese food. Hmm... I guess it's Mexican-Chinese fusion?
Rating: 3.5 stars This place is almost a 4 star in my book, but wasn't quite there. Don't get me wrong though, this place was very good! This is what we had: -soft shell crabs imperial rolls (these were yummy!) -sea bass (cooked just right and flavored well, yet not too overpowering) -pad thai (good, but I find this dish hard to mess up) -luc lac beef (mom and hubby loved this dish) -thai curry (probably my favorite dish) -fried banana (this was good but could use some work. the banana was in an eggroll wrap with coconut ice cream. usually deep fried in a different batter and served with vanilla ice cream) All portions were generous and we left quite satisfied. Service wasn't anything outstanding. Cool thing about this place is it could be a good date place or a simple casual place. I'd come back again.
(3)
Care B.
Ate here a month ago and really enjoyed the food. I had takeout, so I can't speak of the service when you eat-in. I was told some dishes were really good and some were just okay, so I stuck to the ones that was recommended to me. The potstickers, chow mein, mu shu pork, and best of all, the beef were all delicious. It's a bit pricier Chinese food, but I thought they gave a fair amount, except the potstickers. I'd come and eat here again anytime.
(4)
L. E.
Don't be fooled by those delicious-looking pictures! Not as good as it looks! Alcohol drinks: Lame! Eggrolls: Oily! Peking duck: Dry, gamey, gross! & it does NOT go w/Tortillas! Ordered 2 more items & just wanna puke! Our 1st & definitely our last! Note to all: "Asian Fusion" means they're "Confused" + we're the ONLY Asian customers there, so, THAT'S A BAD SIGN! :-(l
(1)
Andy C.
I met up with a friend for dinner here. I was a bit weary of the food here because it's kind of expensive, and usually I am not too fond of fusion places partly because the food isn't authentic; sometimes, even worse, is the taste is just weird. I had the Xo Fried Rice and my friend had, I think, the Tamarind Seafood Soup. The fried rice was okay. It was greasy and did not have a lot of flavor, but I guess the ingredients were good. The seafood soup, on the other hand, was excellent. Good amount of food; good bland of spicy and sweet taste. Again, the ingredients were good. I guess the extra cost goes to the nicer ambience and better ingredients.
(3)
Rak P.
Service and Food is EXCELLENT here! I especially love the Veggie Chow mein here, one of the BEST chow mein dishes i've ever tasted! This place is nice, clean, has wonderful decor, and super-friendly people serving you.
(5)
Pamela D.
The place is really nice and the decor can keep you staring for days. Came here for a b-day party. -Great service -Good food ( had chili chicken, Mongolian beef, & cream cheese banana pie. It was all pretty tasty -Good amount of food ( You can easily share an item with someone and get some rice if you both agree on the same things. -Looks pretty clean p.s. I ordered the Zombie drink, only $7, and it was loaded with rum... moneys worth right there!
(5)
Janelle H.
This place is pretty decent and really good for take out. I usually get the XO fried rice, it's always been really good and tasty. I've also tried the Mandarin crispy tofu, pretty good, although sometimes it isn't as crispy as I would like. Really good for dinner and groups. The style of the restaurant is neat and the customer service has always been great. Oh and try the porcupine buns! Tasty and cute!
(4)
yelp j.
First time visit gave me a positive impression. Nice selection of fusion items. I tried a couple chicken dishes for lunch. (Orange/Chili). Very good. I like the environment. Its not a 'mom/pop' type place so couple bucks more but it tasted like it. Worth a visit again.
(4)
L L.
I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant that I stumbled upon en route to a different restaurant. We took a look at the menu and decided to try this restaurant instead. Decor: Modern, clean, and much nicer than your average Chinese restaurant. Service: Attentive and prompt The food: Sizzling rice soup: light clear broth with good flavors Orange beef: husband thought there was too much sauce and a bit soggy Vegetarian ginger "chicken": this was my favorite. It had plenty of ginger and a delicious sauce. Overall, food was good but very salty as both of us were so thirsty after our meals. I would go back to try some of the dim sum.
(4)
sherry g.
The deco is definitely trendy in Asian way, so is the plating. The food is mainly westernized Thai and Chinese style, the taste is decent, but not for real Asian taste buds. Oh, the porcupine buns are really cute and yummy though.
(3)
C M.
1 star for service. I came here today feeling in the mood for chinese. The waitress was so rude! When i asked if i could substitute the spicy soup for something else because I can't handle spicy food she just said "no". and i was like well, i can't eat that so isn't there anything you can do? "NO". OK lady, well can you at least GO ASK someone? She went to ask and came back saying she could substitute fried rice. That shit sucked. and also the salad sucked. The only thing that was good was the dim sum i ordered, pork buns. Friend's dish was ok too, veggies and shrimp-can't really mess that up. 1 star for service, 3 stars for food.
(1)
Anna V.
This place is amazin! I think it's over looked because PF Changs steals its thunder. My favorites are the mango chicken, curry chicken, the lettuce cups, the wor won ton soup, and bok choy shrimp dumplings.
(4)
S K.
I tried this place one late afternoon. The menu has a variety of dishes. The ambience is pretty cool with high walls with traditional decorations. The service was pretty quick and friendly. Veggie lettuce cups - I am a great fan of PF Chang's lettuce cups, but believe me these are much tastier. The quantity was pretty good too. Veggie Kun Pao Chicken: very well done with spicy sauce. Sesame balls : not very impressed as they were very chewy. I plan to come here again to try the other items on the menu.
(4)
Kelvin Y.
Food was moderate and service could have been better. Upon coming in, it seemed all the servers were sitting in the front at the bar just chillin' around. They did sit us fairly quickly, but to keep this place a bit more profesional, for charging that much I think they should have paid a bit more attention to first impressions. Our server did not did not seem to know all the food too well so I pretty much went by the pictures on the front of the menu. Perhaps me being asian, I definately feel I've had better especially weighted with the price they charge. One dish I definately do not recommend trying is the soft shell crab. It had all these fried flakes that made me want to choke. I accidentally choked twice by inhaling the flakes. Not exactly a place I'd recommend, but a possible revisit can be possible if others in my party wants to try... One of those places.
(2)
Edessa P.
I like this place! the atmosphere is really nice. Full bar. The orange chicken was good!
(4)
Smileey F.
i always enjoy my encounters with ginger cafe. Such a cozy feel and the food is uniquely prepared and served. The price is reasonable for the quality you recieve. The decor within is welcoming and is nice to sit in with a date or friends to relax and even drink. I really like the dim sum here so i say holla for some yummyness at ginger cafe.
(5)
Jenny T.
My family and I had dinner here last night for my birthday. I found the restaurant through Yelp reviews and I was very impressed with everything! The main reason I chose this place was because they serve dim sum off the menu all day. We arrived at 6pm (happy hour is 3-6pm) and the waiter offered us the happy hour menu and told us there was no rush, which is unusual for most restaurants since most have strict cut off times. We ordered our whole dinner off the dim sum happy hour menu...2 orders of this...3 orders of that...before you knew it our table was packed with delicious food! There is also a section of the happy hour menu you get a free glass of wine or beer with certain plates...bonus! All the food was great and we had fast and friendly service. For 4 adults and 1 child our bill was $100....pretty good! And we had boxes of leftovers! I will definitely return in the future when I have another dim sum craving.
(5)
Jackie D.
it's more of a 1.5 stars. i'm being nice. i went with coworkers/friends this includes marlyn a. here. we didn't know what to get to sent the server away. he never came back. we had to track him down! we ordered drinks and lots of food. the sad part is that 2 of our orders didn't com. we only asked for one of those two orders to come. the lame part? then added the dish they didn't bring on the bill. one server even dropped our food on the floor and still asked if we wanted it. it was an order of dumplings. 4 dumplings come in an order. we only ate 1. so yea, i think we would have wanted that. they also said they'd charge us partially for the order but then later took the order off entirely. i really wasn't a fan of anything there. the only good thing were the porcupine buns and even that is too dry. maybe save a trip and not come here again. food is so-so and service is horrible.
(2)
Alexander E.
I've been here a few times and I always left with a positive experience. Service was excellent, the food was great and decently priced.
(4)
Ruben G.
i work up Mathilda from this joint, and actually remember it getting built. i finally was taken there by a co-worker and was fairy impressed. In my couple visits, i've been able to have string bean chicken, orange chicken, chow fun, and sweet & sour pork. All of them were really good and not super greasy like some other chinese restaurants. string bean chicken is done great.. chicken isn't overcooked, and the green beans are cooked al dente and are crunchy and flavorful. yum! the orange chicken and sweet & sour pork are good. plenty of sauce and they give you a good amount of chicken. big fan here!
(4)
Margaret T.
5 stars for being my favorite Chinese restaurant, hands down. I've been here several times and the service and food have never disappointed me. I typically get the sizzling rice soup and orange beef which are both amazing. You typically see the orange chicken at places like Panda Express so the orange beef is a wonderful little spinoff. Something I recently discovered was the crispy tofu in mandarin sauce. The second I took a bite, it blew my mind. Do yourself a favor and the next time you're waiting for a table at PF Changs, go across the street and grab a table at Ginger Cafe. Yum yum
(5)
Ken F.
I can sort of describe this as the Southeast Asian version of PF Chang's...and probably a step less expensive. I usually go home hungry after eating at a Thai restuarant, but this place doesn't disappoint as their portion size is adequate. We first ordered a dim-sum sampler. Many of the offerings were familiar if you eat a lot of dim-sum, but perhaps a step up in quality and spice. But you can probably try some other appetizer if you are familiar with (Cantonese) dim sum. For entrees, we ordered: Carmelized Black Cod - excellent! Cooked and seasoned just right with generous portions. We almost thought we were eating Sea Bass. Lemon Grass Chicken - also excellent, but perhaps a tad on the salty side with excess pepper (it might have been the lemon grass that caused this)...if you eat this with rice it should be okay. Buddha's Feast (tofu and vegetables): tasty and fresh, but nothing remarkable...our required vegetable dish. The Princess Tofu at Layang Layang is far better. Pineapple Fried Rice: also tasty and fresh. They didn't serve it in a pineapple shell like most Thai restaurants do, but then again, it seemed to cost less than the equivalent dish that is served in a pineapple shell. Food presentation for the above is good to very good. The place itself is very clean and you can probably entertain business clients and relatives here. Service is not bad and they frequently check to make sure everything is okay. Price is on par with most Thai restaurants (though this is not billed as a Thai restaurant)...but with the added benefit of larger portions. No food served in dainty little rice bowls here.
(4)
Kay F.
Great for parties!! Dawn, I believe her name is, is a sweetheart!!! I go here all the time with my parents and I always leave stuffed. I will let you explore the menu, because being vegetarian, there is a lot to die for here on the menu! YUMMY DESSERTS TOO!!! Don't forget!
(5)
Eric C.
I had wanted to try Ginger Cafe for a few years but something always seemed to interfere. But last night I had a chance to try it and it was fantastic. I made reservations at opentable.com however I did not really need them since there was no wait and plenty of seating when I arrived. For the appetizer, I ordered the soft shell crab spring rolls which you can see on their online menu. It came with a brown sauce which complimented it. For the main course, we ordered potato beef and caramelized garlic prawn. The potato beef was my favorite and it was great. The potatoes were cooked well as was the beef and they had some sort of pepper sauce. The prawn were excellent also and just be careful of the hot chilis in the dish. We actually could not finish it all and took half of the potato beef home. I saw many items that I will be trying in futures visits with friends and family.
(4)
Madhulika G.
I quite like the food at Ginger Cafe .. Being a vegetarian they have some really tasty options... Is they had better service i would rate it a notch higher.... !
(3)
Dennis O.
This place is more like an asian fusion restaurant so I dont understand why the other reviewers are expecting authentic asian food. This isn't a chinese restaurant, its a 'fusion' restaurant. You dont expect authentic Italian food from Pizza my heart right?? The decor is amazing, the ambiance is great and this is a great place to bring a date. Check out the Porcupine Custard. Its fried bread with yellow bean custard inside shaped like a porcupine with spikes shaped from the bread. Artsy. Why are you guys getting takeouts from a restaurant that you've never been to?
(4)
Chris E.
I'm not going to get hung up on the "authentic" threads; I liked the place for what it was, Americanized Asian Food. Think PF Chiang, Mandarin Gourmet, etc. The potato beef was simple and I enjoyed it with some rice. A friend ordered one of the chicken dishes and wasn't too happy with how the meats were cooked (the rubbery consistency method). The layout and decor were nice. Parking sucked. If you were desperate, I suppose you could park at Las Palmas.
(3)
Kolapo O.
Ginger Cafe? This place really isn't very good. We had a pork dish that was really bland. The drinks were alright though but there are better places to eat. I only came here for the Opentable bonus points but wasn't really worth it.
(2)
Coco L.
it's a small little place.. chinese food with fusion price and decent service - lamb with steamed bun - an interesting variation of peking duck; but quite salty -orange chicken - decent and not too heavily bread coating - Crispy tofu in Mandarin sauce - the crispy tofu is good, the sauce is salty side
(3)
Mary C.
Ginger Cafe is participating in the Done Out for Meals on Wheels on October 4, 2011. Thank you for helping to fight senior hunger!!
(5)
S B.
I had eaten lunch here about a year ago and liked the food then. Went for dinner last night - BAD! First - it is way too expensive for dinner, second the food sucks! We ordered the Chili Chicken and Salt and pepper prawns. Both came out like deep fried rolled in a sauce - pretty dry no sauce. To top it - the chef literally put lots of raw crushed garlic on each dish - it was awful (this coming from a person who loves garlic and spice). I love garlic when it is cooked - not just poured over my food. They should rename this place Garlic cafe... Not coming back here - PF Changs would have been better than this place.
(1)
C W.
What an odd place. They had a menu posted outside so we ordered takeaway from the menu. They then told us that we would have to pay more as the menu that they had both outside and inside was an old one... I explained that this was illegal i.e. to advertise one price then charge another. They got very snotty and just said to pay the higher price or don't get the food. We paid the higher price as we were interested in trying the food. The food was bland and way overpriced... The service, for a take away, was unintelligent, scattered and rude. We will not be going here again... As another reviewer said, PF Changs is accross the road - we will go there instead!
(1)
Kathleen M.
"Whoa," I thought as I opened the door, "It's PF Chang's lite!" Indeed, despite the modest rock wall exterior, the place is all gussied up inside with your usual PF Chang's giant Buddhas. (Except in this case they don't have room for the whole Buddha so there's a bunch of decapitated Buddha heads.) They even have a mini PF Chang's giant stone horse. Ginger Cafe is also across the street from PF Chang's so if you have a long wait at Changers you know where to go. The lunch specials ($7-$8) start with soup. Ours was a tom yum soup with ground meat (not sure what kind) and so much oil we barely touched it. One of our entrees was the Basil Chicken. Although the ingredients were good - white meat chicken, mushrooms, green onions, celery, carrots, bamboo shoots, Thai basil - the sauce was all wrong. It was a odd tasting yet subtle fish sauce that didn't compliment the basil at all. Halfway through our meal we put the Basil Chicken aside and focused on our winner of a dish, the Dry Sauteed String Bean Chicken. Although it suffered from too much oil (a common theme), there were loads of fresh string beans and nice white meat chicken. The sauce (other than the oil) was great and hoisin-y. I'd definitely go back for that. We were unimpressed by the service. We didn't see the server all that often. As a result the husband asked the busser (instead of the server) what meat was in the soup. He said he didn't know and didn't bother to go ask either. He did come by to fill our water glasses every 5 minutes though. Assigning stars to this place is tricky. I'd give 2 stars for the soup, 2 stars for the Basil Chicken, and 4 stars to the Dry Sauteed String Beans (if they made it with less oil I'd give it 5 stars). So that equals 3, even though I can't wait to try it again. Goal: To one day sit at the middle booth. It looks awesome. UPDATE: Got everything with less oil. Much better. The Kung Pao Chicken was really good (even though the meat was on the verge of being slightly sketch). The Potato Beef wasn't quite as good, and was a bit too peppery. UPDATE 2: Eggplant in Garlic Sauce is good, though the sauce is a little too sweet and applied with a heavy hand. The Mango Coconut Chicken tastes much better than in looks. I'm still ordering everything low salt, low oil which I think is the way to go.
(5)
Cindy N.
I had been wanting to try this place because my mom went here a few weeks ago and said it was good. She and I usually see eye to eye in what is good and not so good, but not this time. Perhaps we ordered wrong? I agree with pretty much everything Tetsu and Michael C. had to say about this place. The dishes we tried were okay, but nothing special or terribly unique. I thought $17.50 for what we got was really overpriced considering I could get the same thing, but tastier and more of it for about the same price if I went to a regular Chinese restaurant. I think fusion is a misnomer. I think they say fusion because there are dishes from different parts of Asia, but to me fusion is when you mix different flavors from different regions into one dish. The service was also pretty slow which made a mediocre that much less impressive.
(2)
Heidi M.
I come here with my family all the time. DELICIOUS FOOD. I always order the catfish, and the eggplant tofu. I've tried many of the stir fry's and vegetable dishes, they're all delicious. I enjoy the Dim Sum appetizer platter as well. One of my favorite restaurants!
(5)
Kaj HeGe H.
A good lunch menu, good service, and easy location. I will be back.
(4)
Scott B.
* - pretty-good dim sum ALL DAY LONG ** - better tasting food than PF Chang's (right across the street) *** - way better parking that PF Chang's ****- cheaper, faster, and friendlier than PF Chang's slight minuses: mixed drinks and desserts are not amazing
(4)
Alexander O.
Really good food but a little bit overpriced. This is asian fusion with a little bit of everything. It's nice and quick and clean. This is a good place to go to, but nothing really separates it from other fusion places. If you're in the area do stop by, but it's not worth a long drive.
(4)
Anya R.
This is my go to place when I'm feeling like Dim Sum after the morning time. They have this appetizer dim sum sampler thats really good! Parking is good and I have never had to wait for a table. They do have an easy reservation area on their website- they use Open Table. Its funny how this place is right across the street from PF Changs. Its like.. which Asian Fusion place do I want to go to today.. eennie meenie minue moe! Every time I come its fun to do it family style so everyone can have a taste of the other one's food. Its not authentic by any means but there is a very good variety and its tasty! Can't go wrong with that!
(5)
Emily H.
Good food at great price! Came here with my coworkers and tried their lunch plate spicy chicken with fried rice. Delicious and enough for 2 meals. We also tried their filet mignon which melts in your mouth! Definitely coming back here!
(4)
Anng S.
Meh. It's okay. I had some dim sums and well AVOID the Fresh Vietnamese Rolls like the plague! For 6 bucks I'm expecting something semi decent. Chow fun is alright, but they obviously went a little too bean sprout crazy. The decor is cute and my server was nice. Overall, it wouldn't be my first choice to hit up, but all in all its just "meh"
(3)
Peter C.
Spicy Chicken with root beer in a bottle, my regular order! Potato beef taste good too, my second choice! Mango chicken, when I like to have a change! Nice cozy place. If you get mistreated in the PF Chang's across the street, just walk out of that door and enter this one!
(4)
Jay C.
So i drive by this place everyday, and I finally stopped by with a friend. So here are my gripes: the table was dirty ( a big pet peeve ) the waitress had a bad attitude the fried rice was cold! the regular rice was undercooked the dishes was were too salty but the decor was nice -_-;; thats that
(2)
Mai T.
Came here one day with a group of friends. The decor was nice and the service was good. We ordered a bunch a food...the two types of crab, seabass, veggies, soup, scallops, fried rice, noodles and some other type of fish. Both crab dishes were not good. From the freezer of course, but the flavors were just gross. Those two plates were probably the least touched. Everything else was just too blah. Our soup never came out either. Never going back here again.
(1)
Peter T.
My favorite "Asian Fusion" restaurant. Prices are very reasonable and service is good. I don't even think about going to PF Chang's anymore because I'd rather come here. Orange Beef is awesome and so are a few other dishes like the sizzling rice soup, caramelized prawns. Obviously, this isn't a place for dim sum but if you're coming here for dim sum you probably don't go to authentic Chinese restaurants anyways. Wished they served brown rice too but it's all good.
(5)
carol c.
We are frequent diners here. I stepped out of my usual orange chicken rut and ordered steamed seabass with scallions and ginger the other night. It was very flavorful, but the inside was raw and for some reason, the entire dish was oily. Surprised, as it was a steamed fish. I'm going to knock a star off for poor preparation.
(4)
Marcus C.
The food is passable, but nothing special. We were a party of 7 on a really slow night, yet the staff still seemed overwhelmed by us. When we asked to order food, the server exclaimed, "What? Right now?" and rushed to get someone else to come to our table. Another server gave us attitude when we let her know that the calamari we'd ordered as an appetizer hadn't arrived halfway through the meal. The boy server was pretty friendly and nice although we did have to ask to have our water re-filled.
(3)
Albert Y.
We stopped in for lunch today and were a bit surprised to be the only people there. We decided to stick it out and try the Dim Sum and a lunch special. We had received two or three full-color, direct mail brochures from Ginger Cafe in the past few months, drooling over the glossy photos of Siu Mai and Har Gow, etc. Service was prompt and cheerful. After taking drink orders (full bar, yay!) our server kindly asked if we had any questions; a nice touch for those of us not exactly sure what we were ordering. We decided on the steamed pork buns, leek dumplings with shrimp, siu mai and the sticky rice rolls. We also tried the "dry chicken & green bean" lunch special. We enjoyed the steamed Dim Sum items immensely. The mixture of leek & shrimp were well balanced and just darned tasty! The siu mai was a bit more intense with pork flavors, but the steamed pork buns were awesome! Sadly, they only come three to an order. We would have ordered more, but we were stuffed after having enjoyed the sticky rice and truly delicious chicken/green bean lunch special with its tangy, sweet/salt flavors and crunchy fresh green beans. We're looking forward to returning to try other interesting items on the menu! The only possible negative was the $32.00 bill for two. It won't keep us from returning, but we won't return as often as we might if the prices were a bit lower. By the looks of things, they won't have a problem doing well. The place was packed (on a Monday) by the time we left.
(4)
Whitney B.
Went here for dinner with some friends last night and was pretty impressed. While the restaurant is located in a strip mall, once you walk in you sort of forget about that. The high ceilings and dark wood decor make it seem a little bit more special. My friends suggested we order some dim sum and another dish. We went with the pineapple fried rice (good, with a little bit of a spicy kick), and we ordered 4 of the dim sum (served all day). The only thing we were disappointed with were the Crispy Shrimp Puffs. They weren't bad per se, but a little boring considering the other dim sum we ordered (Siu Mai, Pork Steamed Buns, Porcupine Custard Buns). The porcupine custard buns win the award for cutest thing on the menu. They actually look like little porcupines - they're almost too cute to eat. Almost. This was plenty of food between the 3 of us (we were all very hungry and left feeling full), and ended up being a reasonable price. I will definitely be eating at Ginger Cafe again.
(4)
S. L.
I have been here for both lunch and dinner, and I like it. I would rather come here than PF Changs, it is tiny and the staff is very nice. This is an americanized restauarant, so don't come here expecting to get what nana cooks at home for you ok. Walnut Prawn-B Calamari-A Mango Chicken thingy-C Tamarind Prawns-A
(4)
Apurva P.
Meh. Pretty much the first thing that comes to mind. The ambiance is pretty decent. Tall ceilings (very) making it look spacious, but the table they make a large group sit at is bad. Its an out-curve, so the person at one end cannot see the person at the other end. Bad for large groups (over 6 or 8). The food: thats where the meh really comes back. Nothing great, really. Tried their Mu Shu, the lettuce wraps, the Spicy Coconut Soup, and their dumplings. The lettuce wraps were probably the best, with the soup coming in a close second. But overall, we ended up trying a variety of entrees, none of which turned out really good. The thai chicken curry was decent though. Turns out when you plan on going "general asian cuisine" with the restaurant, few can pull it off. This one definitely cannot. Oh, and the service - she was friendly, and patient with the large group. Possibly one thing on the plus side for this place.
(3)
Raajee M.
Clean neat place i ordered vegetarian Kung pao chicken lunch special..quite tasty Steamed rice quantity was low had order extra, would have been nice if they have a chow mein option instead of rice as well
(4)
James K.
One issue I always have when going to a chinese restaurant with my girlfriend are the family style dishes. I always end up overeating b/c there is an abundance of food. It's not always a bad thing but sometimes, it's good health wise to have smaller portions This place eliminates that problem easily b/c they serve individual plates. For example, I had the kung pao chicken which comes with rice and some veggies I believe. The kung pao wasn't too greasy nor was the meal in general. Portions were enough to fill you up but not make you feel 9 months pregnant. The service is very quick and the people are friendly. I had a few sips of a Muy Thai from my girlfriend and it was made accurately.
(5)
Lizzie B.
Excellent selection of food, excellent service, excellent atmosphere. I got beef with asparagus... mmmmm! Not the BEST I've had but definitely worthy of coming back again! My friend that ate with me got mango chicken which I kind of wish I had gotten - it was served in this delicious coconut sauce, oh mannnn. My friend also got some Vietnamese iced coffee there. I'm not a big coffee fan but I tasted it and it was pretty damn yummy :) Overall this place is GREAT! Not terribly expensive and a very good selection of dishes.
(4)
Dave R.
The dishes are delicious. The presentation is delightful, the decor is beautiful, and the prices are reasonable. I haven't been here too many times, but each time I come I try something different, and I haven't had anything that is not absolutely scrumptious. They serve Asian-fusion dishes with flavors from southeast Asia, Japan, and Vietnam.
(4)
Vivian J.
Great food without a long wait like PF changs. Service is really good and menu has chinese food and dim sum. It come with soup in beginning and with steamed rice if you order a dish. Decor is really modern and cute with nice red curtains and high ceilings. I have had the Mango Chicken and the pork buns which were yum! They have a big parking lots so a lot easier to park than PF Changs. I have only gone there for lunch but will go again!
(4)
Alissa S.
After checking up on this place on Yelp, I decided to head here to celebrate the Lunar New Year with some tasty take out. Shout out to my fellow yelpers: you're right, this place is like a mini PF Cheng's, to a degree that is almost creepy. But with excellent parking, yo. So I ordered the highly recommended beef potato dish and I also tried the mango coconut chicken. Because I'm not into spicy, I asked for non-spicy versions. The mango chicken had no coconut flavor at all. In fact, the whole dish had no flavor at all. The mango chunks were cooked until they practically disintegrated. Not too appetizing. I realize I ordered the dish to be not too spicy, but, um, some kind of flavor would be good. I also ordered the beef and potato dish. I think this could benefit from a bit less oil and a bit more veggies to cut the heaviness of the beef and potato. There was a lot of meat in both dishes, but both were kind of chewy. Maybe chunks or smaller pieces would help rectify this. The service I got for takeout was fast and friendly, they even offered water while I was waiting. And oddly, the fortune cookies here are the best I've ever tasted, if you're into fortune cookies. My total bill with tax for two dishes of takeout was $26. A bit pricey, and lacking in flavor. But the sizes were generous and there was lots of meat. So I wish I could give 2.5 stars. I plan to return here for dim sum, which they serve all day, and see how it is, so that may make me edit my star rating.
(2)
Marta L.
I have eaten at this place several times with friends and it's always a good choice. Yummy starters include the cream cheese crab puffs and love curry dishes and mango chicken..everything is pretty yummy here and place has a nice ambience.
(4)
Melanie A.
I've been to Ginger Cafe twice and I will probably go there again. The restaurant is much nicer looking than I had expected. It is clean and modern. The staff is also very friendly and professional. The food is good but not great. I really like the eggplant and tofu dish. However, my b/f (who is a little more critical of asian food) did not think the noodle dishes were very good. If you are not that picky about the authenticity of asian food, and you want to go to a place with a nice atmosphere, then I think this place would be fine.
(3)
anjali r.
We've gotten take-out from here several times now, but haven't eaten there yet. We definitely want to - the ambience looks very appealing. pros - super tasty food. loved the salt & pepper prawns. fast. friendly. cons - limited menu, a little pricier than the typical asian restaurant depending on what you're ordering. definitely worth a visit. we're hooked!
(4)
Marilu M.
What happened to this place?? We never had a bad experience before but tonight our takeout was just to dump in the trash can. Potstickers old and dry, scallops overcooked and some burned, plastic tofu and few pieces of pork covered by garlic ? At a gourmet restaurant price : 50 bucks?? was it just a really bad day for the cook? We will definitely need some time to forget about this night. Very, very disappointing.
(1)
Emily D.
I went here for dinner the other night, and was pleasantly surprised. My fiance and I shared some dim sum (sesame balls and pork buns) and the lettuce cup appetizers. The dim sum was so-so (tasted a little mass produced), and the lettuce cups were really good. My fiance's parents ordered two entrees, and they were very happy with both. Like other people, I would compare this place with PF Chang's, except the atmosphere is WAY better. It's not insanely crowded and loud all the time like PF Chang's. Highly recommended!
(4)
Mimi C.
I have dined here for dinner many times and have had good food and good service...however, during my recent dinner visit, I will no longer go back to this restaurant. Positives first...the chicken fried rice and beef chow fun were great. We also order the scallops on tofu and the tofu tasted sour, not only by me but my friend also thought so as well. Fresh tofu is NEVER sour...period. I decided to advise our waitress and she took the dish away...few minutes later, she comes back to "explain" that this particular dish, the tofu can taste sour, I just looked at her and said, "No, tofu is not supposed to taste sour." There was NO apology from anyone there, but instead they wanted to try and dispute my comment? When did it become ok for a restaurant to try and dispute a customer's feedback? I didn't even ask for it to be taken off the bill...a SIMPLE "sorry for that" would have been the very least of my expectations. There are plenty of good restaurants to dine at...this one is off my list.
(1)
shelly b.
how many times have i been here and never written a review? now's the time people! i love that when you walk into this place that is very unassuming from the outside, it's warm and inviting and pretty inside. it's not big, but it's comfortable. during lunch, their specials are delicious. you get a heaping portion of food along with rice and soup (the various kinds we've had have all been very tasty). the price is reasonable and the service is pretty prompt. dinner is usually a pretty busy time, but we've always had good service and great food. i'm a huge fan of the green bean chicken. my boyfriend loves the mongolian beef. and even though nothing can ever compare to my favorite crab rangoons in a hidden food court in boston, the crab rangoons here aren't too shabby. not to mention they are stuffed and good size. a good deal is their 3 course dinner menu selections. you can get food for 2 which includes an appetizer, main dishes and dessert. as with the other food, the portions here are generous and the food comes piping hot to the table. and do yourself a favor and try the fried bananas for dessert. gooey bananas inside a crispy eggroll skin with a side of coconut ice cream? yes please! they have quite a selection of mixed drinks which we haven't tried yet. but i have been mesmerized by the bartendar shaking things up when we sit near the bar on many occasions! maybe next time......
(4)
Nobody M.
This place fills a good niche spot. It's definitely modeled after PF Changs--Full list of drinks, chic atmosphere, professional wait staff, solid menu and consistently good food--but you won't have to wait for 45 min. to get your Americanized Chinese food. Plus Ginger Cafe ventures into Malaysian and Vietnamese cuisines, too. The Lemon Grass chicken was great (next time I'll ask for a side of peppers, though) and the appetizers (Vietnamese egg rolls and shrimp puffs) were both excellent. My only complaint was that the produce (mint leaves) and the wilting basil I saw accompanying a co-diner's plate look like they'd spent the weekend in the sun. But none-the-less, it's a great place that shouldn't disappoint.
(4)
Caroline C.
From Sunday lunch: Inexpensive, fresh, and delicious. We tried pork bun, sesame balls, mandrin garlic tofu, kung pao chicken. The garlic tofu had excellent texture and just enough heat, the pork buns were fine--nothing more to say about them--the sesame balls also normal and up to par. For the price, and the quality, things are pretty much in balance here. Definately great tofu dishes, though not that many of them on the menu. They seemed willing to substitute tofu in other dishes, though. While it's nothing to drive out of the way for, this restaurant met my expectations and fills its boots just about how it should.
(4)
Soul B.
This in one of my favorite restaurants in Sunnyvale. The decor is nice and it's got ample parking. Good starters are the lettuce cups, cream cheese crab puffs (I'm a sucker for these). My favorite dishes are the (forgive me if I don't get the name correct that's on the menu) potato beef, salt & pepper shrimp (make sure you say no head or tail) the Catfish, Filet Mignon Luc Lac, the Peking Duck, & the Mongolian beef. Every time people come to visit from out of town, I take them here and everyone has loved it. Better than PF Changs (which I feel is now over priced and under portioned). menu: gingercafe.net/index.php…
(4)
Rj A.
My experience at this place has been pleasant, it's convenient since is right few blocks from home. Dim Sum is good, Curry chicken is always good as well for some other dishes. A major thing that I like is the service always right, and that is a plus due to service is one of the major things for me. Good service and good food for a reasonable price.
(5)
Veronica B.
Thanks to the "Yelp Pley" Event, I was introduced to Ginger Cafe via their killer dim sum. I suggested to the BF that we make reservations at ginger for our Valentine's day dinner. Assuming that this year's dinner could NOT be as horrendous as last year's experience (see my review for Straits in PA) we decided to go with a pre-fix option for 2 for $50. We were able to choose an appetizer, two entrees, and a dessert with two servings of rice. All were extremely tasty; including the twice-cooked pork tenderloin and the Crispy Shrimp Puffs! But most of all, the BEST part of the dinner was the BOTTOMLESS champagne!!! .. which came incredibly handy when having to sit through the painfully corny film, 'Valentine's Day.' `
(4)
Catrina S.
Tasty food. A bit expensive, but the happy hour deals on small plates are great!
(4)
tanya f.
We just came back from having dinner at this place. We had to wait over fifteen minutes to get our order taken. It took them another fifteen to twenty minutes to bring our food at which point they brought appetizers and entrees all at once! when we were done with our meal which was pretty good in all honesty and credit to the chef, we waited and waited for the server to come get out credit card for payment so finally chose to pay upfront where take out orders are paid. The hostess hand our bill and cc to our server who doen'st acknowledge that we are right there infront of him who proceeds to run the cc while he waits he rubs he's nose up and down he's sleeve then that's not enough for the itchy nose and he starts rubbing he's other open palm over he's face and nose!!! DISGUSTING!! He says leaves with our credit card but then realizes or is told that we waiting at the front. Comes back and hands my husband a pen and the bill. I had ask if he was sick with a cold just in case... he sais no it's allergies and that that. Well he leaves embarrassed I assume but I ask the hostess for hand sanitizer she looks around and offers a"no we don't have any here". Needless to say we agreed to not go back there! Too bad, really the food is good but what a turn off with the horrible service and quite the show of unsanitary habits in a restaurant. Don't recommend it, unless you want to run the risk of getting sick and getting horrible customer service.
(1)
Mike L.
I came here for lunch and was expecting something unique because it was a fusion restaurant, but I was wrong. We ordered 4 dim sum dishes and 1 appetizer side. Scallop Puffs - where is the Scallop part? I saw puffs, some veggies and whole bunch corns which it tasted more like Corn Puffs. Corn way overpowered. Lobster Dumplings - Need me to say again? Corn... corn... corn... I LOVE corns but i didn't order Corn Dumplings... and there was barely any lobster in it.... (what is it with corn in this restaurant...) Vegetable Dumplings - Corn is a vegetable right?! Ordered this vegetarian dumplings and had mixed veggies but no corn... wow... I guess they liked to use corns to cover the expensive ingredients. Pan Fried Blue Crab Dumplings - Ok... maybe I tasted some blue crab meat and there was no corn in this one, but the dumplings were kinda flat. Wasn't dumpling supposed to be puff? Soft Shell Crab Fresh Rolls - Now this was not bad and there is no corn!! It tasted like the Vietnamese Spring Roll but with soft crab shells. PRICE: Not even worth the price. I could get this kind of dishes somewhere else and cheaper. SERVICE: meh, the waitress seemed like she hated working here and there was this guy (looked like a bus boy) walking around and trying to look for stuff to do because there were only a few people. ATMOSPHERE: i liked it. nice decoration and stuff. We were seated close to the restroom and there was another table really close to the restroom. I don't think anyone would like to sit there and watch every single person enter and exit the restroom. The screener isnt too helpful either. Their lunch specials look very generic and nothing to excite about.
(2)
Dione B.
For being part of a chain (if small), this is a cozy little restaurant with quite a varied menu. I've been here twice, now, and some advice: go for the dim sum. The entrees are good, yes, but the dim sum you'll see on the front menu is just...heaven. Required is the scallop puffs and the porcupine buns. The latter makes an excellent dessert. Not too rich, and not too much, so long as there's at least two of you eating. Dim sum automatically comes in three pieces, though I haven't seen if they can add on extras if you're on, say, a double-date. Something for me to check on later. The two times I've been, there was no wait for seating, so hopefully that's a trend. If you keep an eye out, you may see a Costco deal for this restaurant, getting you $10 off a $100 gift certificate. They come in $50 cards, so get one for yourself and one for a friend (or just hog them all and have many, many wonderful dinners).
(5)
Connie C.
It's easy to overlook Ginger Cafe. You'd never think such a nice looking place exists in a small strip mall in Sunnyvale. It reminds me of PF Chang's, but with more Thai and Vietnamese influences in the food. In fact, there's a PF Chang's across the street. But if I were to choose between the two, I'd definitely come here. Gotta support local businesses! I've only been here for lunch, but their lunch specials are the way to go - for less than $10, you can choose from a variety of dishes, which comes with soup of the day and rice. The portions are really big, so it's definitely enough for two meals. The egg drop corn soup was a tad too starchy, but flavors were good. I got the basil chicken, which was a very tasty stir-fry dish that came with a lot of shiitake mushrooms - my fave! I also had the calamari and shrimp, cleverly served in shrimp chips (such a great idea for hors d' oeuvres to make at home). The seafood was very fresh, and the presentation was lovely. I also really enjoyed the Vietnamese ice coffee, which was not too sweet. Since I was dining solo, I sat at the bar, where the staff was super friendly and very attentive. While this is not a super authentic Southeast Asian restaurant, I still enjoyed the food!
(4)
Chris D.
I'll be straight. Mediocre experience at best. The atmosphere of the place gave me high expectations despite the lack of people who were sat down when I arrived. The waitress that helped my gf and I was incredibly helpful though, taking her time to explain the menu and the various options that they had. However, when it came down to the food, I'm gonna pass. We ordered up the duck and expected to have pippin hot duck with the steamy buns and instead we got room temperature duck and some cut tortillas... yes. they use tortillas, complete with the container that you'd easily find at a mexican joint, not an asian restaurant. 'nuff said.
(2)
Gurpreet S.
If you're craving Asian fusion this is the place to check out. The ambiance is quite good, and the food is delicious. The dumplings are to die for. Portions are huge, so beware. Its nigh impossible to finish one dish on your own. Go family style, and indulge yourself in some great cooking. The cocktail selection is quite good too, for when you need to just unwind :-)
(4)
KeepItReal I.
Pleasantly surprised by the high quality of food, excellent service, and variety of dishes. Our party of three came here for lunch on a weekday. We ordered 3 lunch specials to share: orange chicken, crispy tofu, and satay three delights. Ranged in price from 7.75 to 9.95 per dish, which included soup, white or fried rice, and the entree. We also ordered the mu shu chicken rolls as an appetizer. Everything was delicious and distinctive; the dishes didn't all have that same flavor that sometimes happens when you order lunch specials. The orange chicken was very tender and not overly breaded. The crispy tofu had a really nice coating of panko? It was unique and very delicious, especially if you feel like having a vegetarian meal. The satay three delights had plenty of chicken, calamari, shrimp, asparagus and broccoli with a flavorful wok-smoky flavor in the sauce. Even the chicken and corn soup of the day was tasty-- not bland or watery. The food came out in a very timely fashion and our waters were always filled. They even brought out plates for us to share our meals family style before we even requested them. It's very clean, airy, and comfortably decorated with a full bar and interesting looking cocktails. The service was efficient and friendly. And the portions were hearty. We had leftovers of everything. The dinner entrees and dim sum look great (they have two digital frames that show pictures of all the different dishes) but seem pricey. I totally agree with other reviewers that the food here is so much better than at PF Changs or other Chinese places. I was really impressed with the restaurant--because authentic Asian places with great food usually lack in the decor/service areas, but Ginger Cafe pretty much had it all. Highly recommend. We will definitely come back to try other lunch entrees.
(5)
Andrew N.
I haven't been here in a while cause the prices scare me since I'm currently looking for a job. Other than that, the food was good. I was really surprised that they had sweet and sour vegetarian chicken. The rice here had a fancy feel to it (at least when I had it), but the vegetarian chicken felt like I bought it from a fast food place (that is good and bad). Tastes great... but it was a bit oily. I will have to give it another try one day and bring some friends as the environment looks nice. So far I just had take out.
(3)
Moe R.
I saw a review on foodgal.com and have been meaning to come here for a long time. Finally did so today and it was very good! The food is Asian, but that's about all the characterization I can do! Elements of Chinese, Thai, Malaysian. And they have dim sum style dishes. We had: - Garlic chicken dish (sorry, I don't know the name it had on the menu) which was VERY garlicky (in a good way, in my opinion), slightly sweet in a way that played well with the garlic. Well cooked, tender and juicy, with nice amount of sauce. - Beef with potatoes. Yes, potatoes. (See what I mean about trying to characterize the place?) This was quite delicious, kind of a country-fried-potatoes-meets beef stir fry. The potatoes were tender and nicely browned. The beef was well crisped. It had a LOT of black pepper (mostly in a good way but spicier than might be expected). Very good flavor and hard to stop eating! - Steamed bun (Char Siu Bao). Large, well puffed bun with nicely seasoned pork. Nicely done but not a standout. Nice decor, quiet and spacious. The service was prompt and courteous. Price was fair, around $8.50-10 per entree.
(4)
Hogan W.
I came here after making reservations over Open Table and reading a lot of decent reviews from Yelpers. The wife and I arrived at 12:30pm for lunch on Sunday with high expectations after viewing the mouth watering pictures. We walked in and was greeted by the receptionist/waitress. There was only one other family in the restaurant with us. The menu gave choices of small plates, lunch specials, noodles, appetizers, meats, poultry, soups and salads. After examining the menu, we chose on a few items: 1) Ha Gao (Dumpling wrap was cooked fresh and not frozen beforehand, good filling, and large shrimp pieces) 2) Crispy Shrimp Puff (Fried to a golden brown, crispy shell, diced shrimp chunks, came with a peanut sauce but had to ask for sweet and sour instead) 3) Lobster Dumpling (shredded lobster pieces infused with corn and spices in a transparent dumpling topped off with a pea, tasted fresh and succulent) 4) Porcupine Custard Bun (cute little bun came in a small plate of 3, tasted rubbery like it was cooked once then cooked again or lightly fried before serving, and did not have enough custard filling to satisfy a sweet craving) [see pic] 5) Soft Shell Crab Fresh Rolls (a large rectangular dish with 8 pieces of fresh rolls, crisp lettuce and steaming vermicelli noodles, garnished with more peanut sauce and hot sriracha sauce, and I could taste how fresh the ss crab was deep friend and tender) [see pic] 6) Vietnamese Hot Coffee (great visual appearance, but too much condensed milk diffused the roasted coffee taste and made it too sweet) [see pic] *The hot mustard we asked for on the side looked less desirable and should've been served in a cup rather than a plate. [see pic] The decor looks very similar to PF Chang's across the street but Buddhist inspired. The placement of decorations and furniture creates a nice cozy atmosphere and setting for intimate couples and large groups. A step up better than traditional Chinese dim-sum restaurants, Ginger Cafe offers a wide variety of dishes to satisfy picky eaters like myself. I didn't even taste a hint of MSG to their dishes. The next time I order their hot Vietnamese coffee, I'll be sure to ask for less condensed milk. Our total bill came to $34.15 before tip. With the ambiance, food, and service, I'll definitely be back to try more menu items for dinner.
(4)
Lostin Thought A.
This is my first one star rating but felt others ought to know. I have eaten at Ginger Cafe three times because it is right next door to my Credit Union and is convenient to pick up lunch but each time has been a terribly disappointing experience and I will sum it up with one word "GREASY!" Specifically - today I ordered their vegetarian egg roll, of course I expected some grease because it's a fried food but not a 1/4 inch (honest) at the bottom of the container. Also please expect an extra 4 tablespoons of grease left after eating their chicken in lettuce wraps too! I ordered this a second time today hoping my first experience was just a fluke. I do all the Corporate catering for my office and have just crossed them off my list as a potential vendor....sorry Ginger Cafe! :-|
(1)
Tony D.
Last week I was dying for some good asian food and decided to give this place a spin from the Yelp reviews. It's not a place you'd probably ever stumble across if you weren't looking for it, but you'd be glad you did. Clean and visually pleasing, friendly and prompt service all the way through (the check actually came just as quickly as the food!) and most importantly, very good food and surprisingly ample portions. I had the Mango Chicken, which came in a creamy coconut curry sauce that actually had a little bit of kick to it. One of my pet peeves is asian food places that have erased all the spice to their dishes because they assume no white people can stand it. I have to order things at level 10 hot just to get to what I'd consider "medium" hotness. My friend had the orange chicken which was lightly breaded and quite good as well. Amusingly he liked my dish a little better and I liked his, but both of us liked both dishes. You might laugh, but I will mention that the water here isn't godawful like half the asian food joints I've been to, so you aren't forced to get a coke just to have some liquid to wash down your food that doesn't make you gag. Good tasting water is actually a pretty good thing for me, as I'm counting calories and soda is an easy one to get rid of. Ginger Cafe honestly doesn't seem to have any weaknesses other than it's slightly hidden location. It was lightly crowded for lunch but I wonder how busy it is at dinner. Might have to find out!
(4)
Nance H.
I dined here with my childhood friend over the weekend. We ordered the 2 dinner special for $30. The dinner included: blue crab dumplings, string bean chicken, mongolian beef, egg rice, and fried banana ice cream. In addition to the dinner special, we also ordered the porcupine custard bun. I really enjoyed the blue crab dumplings. However, both main courses: mongolian beef and the string bean chicken, especially had high levels of sodium. I know as a yelp reader, you don't know much about me. I usually don't consume a lot of fluids. But during the dinner, I drank literally 5 cups of water. And the salt was so overwhelming that I could taste the salt even after gulping down the water. I'm not sure what it was- the salt, or the MSG, but they killed it (not in a good way!) The fried banana ice cream was delicious though. It was probably the best thing we had all throughout the meal. The porcupine custard bun was great in presentation, but it lacked flavor and was definitely not as tasty as it looks. Overall, it was OK, but I probably wouldn't come back.
(3)
Chris V.
I agree with the review of Michael F from 4/2012. Came there approximately 8pm on a Saturday night with my girlfriend for dinner. I had heard of the popularity of Ginger Cafe so I called ahead for reservations. I have had dinner from here before but just take out, so I was looking forward to this. We showed up approximately 8pm and the restaurant was nearly empty? It was a Saturday night at 8pm? We were seated and given menus and a waitress came by to give us water. We didn't see anyone again for 15 mins. There were adequate servers, they just were too busy sitting at the tables and chatting. We ordered dim sum and two entrees. Got the dim sim dishes after about 10 mins which were ok, not great but ok. We didn't see any other food for almost 40 mins! Finally the other dishes came and were tasty! In short food is good, service is bad. Slow, slow service, and needlessly so. Restaurant only had 4 tables! Each time a server came to our table it was someone different who barely spoke and who hardly made eye contact. Gave two stars because the food is good, but the service and speed borders on bad to terrible.
(2)
Crystal S.
Food: delicous. Service: non existent. The waiter mistook our order and once we realized it was the wrong dish, we'd eaten 3 of 6 rolls. We asked for what we originally ordered....it came, and the bill came for both dishes. They only gave half back. Why was it my fault that the waiter gave me the wrong dish and we didn't realize the difference between the rolls right away? On the good side: the busboy was great! He was the only person who checked on us and filled my water after 40 minutes of waiting. The waiter and waitress seemed just too busy....with the 2 other tables?! We looked for them several times but there was no one around. So, if I didn't have other options to get great Asian food, I would go back. But since I have so many other options and service makes or breaks my experience....I won't be going back.
(1)
Van N.
You can definitely skip this new restaurant. The decor was slightly less tacky than PF Changs, but the food wasn't as good. That isn't saying much either because I hate PF Changs Americanized style of Chinese food and you can find the same here. The soup was super bland and the meat was salty as hell. Lucky for me this meal was free or else I would have been pissed I wasted money here. Bottom Line : A must "pass"
(2)
Sonja S.
My first experience at Ginger Cafe was probably almost a year back when my roommate and me decided to get some late lunch around 2pm on a Saturday. The place was empty when we entered but still the service was very friendly. I was a little bit confused by all the different influences/ fusion cuisines when looking at the menu. It feels a little bit like stuffing all south east asia on one single menu. We ordered 2 different dishes and dessert and were both somewhat pleased with our meals. However it was nothing outstanding and the prices were a bit too high for the quality of the meal. Knock a dollar off or two and the price matches the quality of the food. Another time I ordered take out - mainly for Dim Sum. Again the food was average - not excellent but also not bad.
(3)
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Address :398 W El Camino Real,Ste 114
Sunnyvale, CA, 94087
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Amy O.
Been here twice for lunch dim sum. Very pleased. Must try the Porcupine Egg Bun.
(5)Katie B.
This is my go to place when I have "one of those weeks". I've been coming here for years and have always enjoyed the food and service. Can't go wrong with dim sum, eggplant and tofu, and pork fried rice. Yum!
(4)Annie M.
Bo and Tuyen did an awesome job as our wedding caterer! Being Asian American, it can be bit challenging to figure out what food best accommodates all your guests. The family had requested to have Chinese banquet. My husband and I however, did not want the typical chinese wedding dinner, especially since we were having the wedding at a more modern venue. In comes Ginger Cafe, with a Asian Fusion menu, that worked perfectly for us. Check out Randy F.'s pics for the actual food photos. The tasting was to die for and gets waived if you do go with them. They cooked the food at the venue, bringing their own kitchen. Most of the food came out hot and Bo made sure that my husband and I were actually eating. Besides the food, Bo was just so helpful during the planning process also! He had given us suggestions of what to do since he has worked at our venue prior. Ginger Cafe also did the ceremony/reception flip, table set-up, and complete clean up after the wedding was over and it was done very efficiently. I could not have asked for a more organized and helpful caterer, who not only cares about the food, but wants to help make your whole wedding a success :D
(5)Kristy S.
I really like the vegetable Shanghai noodles, and that's really what keeps me coming back. But I've been to the Ginger Cafe a few times where it's just our table of two and one other table with two guests, and we wait over 30 minutes for our dishes to arrive. Four people total in the whole restaurant and a full staff. I wish they'd get a streaming music service instead of playing the radio. I really don't want to listen to commercials while in a restaurant trying to have a nice dinner. It really doesn't fit well with the nice decor. I'll go back for the noodles, after enough time has passed and I forget about how long it takes to get our order to the table. Or I'll just order it to go.
(2)Benjamin B.
I'll start with the positives: It's clean (including the bathroom), not very crowded, and the food was excellent. We ordered the dinner for two, and the two entrees we chose were the curry chicken and the orange beef. Both exceeded expectations -- the flavors were perfect. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and was served in a stew with eggplant, which was delicious. The beef was crispy and had a light amount of sauce. I cannot praise these two dishes enough, they were both outstanding. For dessert we ordered the Fried banana with banana ice cream. It sounded weird, but we gave it a try and it was superb. I never thought I would like banana ice cream but it was surprisingly good. Portions for everything were big. The negatives: The service was slow, especially considering the place was half empty. The servers were friendly and there seemed to be more than enough of them working for such a small establishment, but for some reason everything they did took a long time. We had to remind them that we had ordered dessert and then they brought it promptly. My wife was also disappointed that the crab dumpling appetizers did not come with any dipping sauce. But I am willing to overlook the slow service for the simple fact that the food is to die for -- definitely recommend for a casual evening out.
(4)Maria B.
Food is ok, parking not that bad, average waiting time, could get crowded on weekends..
(3)Ashley A.
I went here for lunch last week with some co workers. It was very busy and the food and menu looked great, so I was expecting great things. I ordered the mango chicken and the mango was still thawing after being frozen. This was a HUGE turn off! The waitress took my meal back and got me a new one, but it was still hard for me to enjoy. Even the chicken pieces looked to be other than chicken breast... I may go and try dim sum there later, but that will be the last draw
(3)Jas W.
Smelled of oily greasy fried food. Rude hostess, nice waitress. But most importantly, the quality of food and taste was horrible. Some dishes were super salty, others tasted dry and old. I had high expectations for this place ----considering the reviews. Now I think it's the friends/relatives that post the reviews. Sorry for the bad review, I like trendy restaurants like this, but this did not even come close to hitting the mark on decent food.
(1)Michael F.
Yeah....no this place was not good. Went here with the parentals and the experience was just disappointing. To begin with, it took an eternity for someone to come to our table to bring water, take our orders, etc. And the restaurant wasn't even that crowded. And then when somebody did come, it was literally a different person each time. One person who brought the water. Another who took our orders. Another who brought our appetizer. Another who refilled our water. Another who brought our main dishes. Another who cleared our table. WTF So our first dish arrives. It's actually quite good. The next dishes didn't come for almost 20 minutes. WTF#2. We spoke with the manager and his excuse was that they were cleaning the kitchen. WTF #3. I understand that you have to clean the kitchen, but why does it have to take place while food is to be cooked? And secondly, if it's really that necessary, why didn't you just let us know so we wouldn't wonder where the hell our food was? The manager apologized and subtracted one item off of our bill, so that's why they get two stars instead of one. Overall, disappointing and I most likely won't be back. 2 stars
(2)C H.
Great happy hour and really really good fusion. To be compared to PF Chang is an insult to GC Really tasty Dim sum sampler and varietal. The bok choi dumplings ,Steamed char situ pork buns, fresh. Siu Mai delish. Sticky sweet rice in tea leaves are outta this world. The Ha GAO is outstanding. You get a free glass of wine or a beer with several happy hour choices, although its kinda hidden in the price. The blue Hawiian is refreshing, not too sweet. Really reasonable prices for food that tastes it was prepared with a lot of care Most of The servers are speedy and friendly. My dog likes the patio
(5)Rob G.
Almost 6 years after my first visit here, and I'm still impressed and still tell everyone it's my favorite restaurant in town. Wonderful.
(5)Earlene C.
Ginger Cafe had a booth at the Bridal Expo this weekend and after tasting two of their appetizers we were wanting more! The gf's and I headed to Sunnyvale to see whatelse Ginger Cafe had to offer. Dim sum all day was great!! We opted for the appetizer platter and each of them were yummy. I'm no Dim Sum connoisseur and I don't question what's inside. I just bite and if I like it, I tear it up! We enjoyed the Dim Sum, Sesame Balls, Chicken Mu Shu, Curry Chicken and Combination Chow Fun. Service was good and the place itself is a nice modern restaurant. Prices were decent. Ironically its accross the street from PF Changs. I'm not a fan of Changs. Ginger Cafe all the way!
(4)Maneet S.
In the area for a few weeks and wanted some Chinese food. Decided to give this place a shot. The people on the phone didn't really know what they were talking about. All I wanted was a veggie lo mein and they kept saying something else. When I came to pick it up they were very nice. Offered me water while I waited. Small little place but clean and appealing. In terms of the food it was great. Plenty of noodles enough to probably serve two people. I like!
(4)Mia R.
One of the best Asian Fusion returant in the Bay Area... hands down. its my top 3 pick in throughout San Jose and San Francisco Bay
(5)Becky K.
Pros: - Great interior decor. Lots to look at, visually stimulating and tastefully done - Delicious food... And I'll be honest. It's Americanized, and I think they call it "Asian fusion," because they have various nationalities represented in their menu. Spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce. Chinese meats and stir-fry. You get the idea. And everything I tasted was absolutely delicious. Sure, the main ingredient was probably MSG, but hey, I will definitely go back. You should also try to crispy fish...? Even though it took a long time for one of my coworkers to get it, oh man, it was worth every bite. Cons: - The waitstaff is nice but slooowwwww. I think they're understaffed because it took probably 15 minutes (being one of two parties when we first arrived) to get our order down. Took probably 30 minutes or more to finally get our food (and by that time, the place was packed). And then another 10 minutes to get our check. Just not enough time to eat here if you're on a lunch break (like I was) - The way the interior is designed makes for a very loud dining space - Kind of expensive considering it's Asian food. $8 for spring rolls? I mean, really?
(4)Thistle C.
After reading the reviews others had left, I had high hopes for Ginger Cafe. Unfortunately the food didn't come even close to hitting them. We got two lunch specials. The first was sweet and sour pork. There was shrimp in it (in batter, so we couldn't tell until we bit into it). Good thing neither of us is allergic. The second was supposedly orange chicken. There was no sauce of any kind on it. The batter was slightly discolored, so I think there may had been sauce close to it at some point in time, but it was bone dry when we opened the container. 100% flavorless. They get one star for a friendly staff and a good sized container of free soup with the meals (so many places stopped giving the free soup when you get take out). I will not be going back there again.
(2)Kévin L.
Great
(5)Douglas L.
Summary: Good service, but food quality on par with McDonald's. If you're looking for Americanized Asian cuisine, then there are much better options across the street. Service was good. When we walked in for lunch today, Sunday, the staff greeted us and immediately sat us. The waitress was attentive, helpful, and friendly. Food was bad. Really bad. I ordered the Mango Chicken with Oolong Tea, my girlfriend ordered the Beef and Asparagus with Strawberry Lemonade, and my friend ordered a vegetarian dish and water. The vegetarian dish was supposedly fine, but the chicken and beef dishes were awful. The "Mango Chicken" was served as a bunch of mangled chicken by-product with chunks of canned vegetables, including mango, smothered in a thick cream sauce. There wasn't much taste to any of it. The chicken was chewy enough that I initially thought it wasn't cooked. After sending it back when the waitress checked to see if everything was ok, I realized that the chicken was cooked all the way. The chewiness was because it's chicken by-product rather than sliced chicken meat. The mango wasn't fresh and had the consistency of something that has been marinating in juices or preservatives in a can. Fresh mango would be crisp, juicy and flavorful. The cream sauce was antithesis of icing on the cake, but the analogy fits if you flip all expectations of icing and cake. Hours later, I could still taste the sauce in my mouth. I was happy to get home and brush my teeth. My girlfriend had similar problems with her Beef and Asparagus. We weren't quite sure if it was a beef by-product, but it definitely had a chewiness that you wouldn't expect from thin-sliced beef steak. The asparagus wasn't bad, but the sauce on her plate was almost as bad as mine. At least she didn't have a cream sauce. On the other hand, my friend who ordered the vegetarian plate swears it wasn't bad. This was a repeat visit for him. Maybe they do vegetarian better, but the canned vegetables on my plate aren't giving me much confidence.
(2)Bernard L.
The food is great. The service is great. The prices of the food is excellent. Been to GC w/a family of 13ppl. We ordered plenty of food for everyone to be full plus dessert and our bill was only $167 w/out the tip. Dammm!!!! I thought for sure our bill would easily be over $200 but we've been here at least 4X and everytime we always say " that was cheap and the food taste great". We always tip our server generously especially after the superb service that they always deliver. Always checking on us if we need refills on drinks. fyi-when eating in, it's way cheaper to get the meals for two or more.
(5)Coral S.
If u don't have cocktails it's pretty cheap and everything I've had so far is really good ! Been a bunch of times for lunch keep going back. !
(4)Benny L.
This is a Chinese (including dim sum) restaurant with some fusion aspects to it. It's very clean and contemporary, and service is generally solid. The food is decent. Sometimes it's very good, sometimes it's mediocre. It kinda depends on which day you go. Some days, the soup for the lunch special was hot and sour -- 9/10. Some days (like today), it was some sort of egg drop soup I think -- 3/10. I also got a salad today for the first time... very sparse and almost devoid of flavor -- 3/10. The Mongolian Beef was rather chewy, but still solid. When I go in groups, I find that I like the food better... because we try some dim sum, appetizers, etc. But when I order a lunch special for myself, whether alone or not, I usually get the Mongo Beef. And it's mediocre (I should probably try something else, OBVIOUSLY). Anyway, food is between 3-4 stars. Everything else (service, atmosphere, etc.) is 4-5 stars. So I give it 4.
(4)Amy M.
This is a pretty restaurant. I love the interior. We've been visiting Ginger Cafe for awhile and so far, the place still looks good. We have noticed some improvements in their food, though and the reason that I finally have to write this Yelp review. We stopped by over the weekend. We like how they've been adding some new dishes here and there, so this time, we tried the "Fried Tilapia Filet". OMG, it tasted so good and the "spicy" part of it was just right. We ate it all up! I would recommend this dish! I love their Rainbow Halo Halo -- it was a hot day and it was perfect. Lots of "fillers" in there. And of course, their Cassava Bar for dessert has always been our favorite. Yes, sweet and good; a perfect way to end a meal. Service was excellent. I don't know how long that one waitress has been around, but she's still there and doing an excellent job. Very friendly. (Thank you!) Yes, we will return!
(5)Jing F.
I might need to revisit this place again to get a favorable rate. I ordered TO GO for just a couple of dim sum ..their specialty is Southeast Asian food...I didn't have the time to sit and dine inside their nice, very comfy restaurant...I really wanted to get that Seafood Soup (tamarind based soup). The dim sum that I got...one order of siumai (3 pcs) and sticky rice w meat in a lotus leaf (2 pcs). The dim sum is very tasty but the portion is so small and pricey. Nevertheless ..I shall return (ala Gen MacArthur) ...I really need to try their specialty . BTW: their staff are super nice =)
(3)Vinoda N.
I have been here many times and the food is excellent - no doubts on that. On all previous occasions, I have had great service as well and I would have given 4 starts for this place. I went there last evening (9/5/2013) with my friends - the food was good but not the great food I was used to from this place. Last night was very different. The service was very slow - I had up front told the guy that too the order that we were on a tight schedule. We were there at 5:30PM and we had till 6:45PM to complete our meal. We ordered some food to-go as well. The place was not too crowded as well. I went and reminded the waiter about our time crunch and we needed the food faster. Half my friends had to leave before all of us completed our food and dessert was made to-go. When the bill came I gave them a 12% tip instead of their suggested 15% or 18% or 20%. The waiter was upset with that and asked me if the service was that bad. Actually the service was so bad I should not have tipped - I was being very decent in giving him 12%. I told him that the service was slow hence the low tip. He just shook his head in dis-belief!!! He actually though he had gone above and beyond. Though the percentage was small in absolute numbers it was around $30. Remember there was food to-go as well. I hope the management asks their staff not to accost customers on the tip front. I have never had this experience ever in the US. As they say, there is always a first time.
(2)Dana A.
Fresh, clean, good service, delicious. Get 4 people and order: Chicken Chow Mein Sweet and Sour Pork Orange Chicken Mongolian Beef and you will be super happy. The one in Gilroy is awesome as well.
(5)S R.
Pathetic. Understaffed, under managed. With a reservation in place, group of more than ten people was waiting more than 30 minutes to be served. Uncalled for.
(1)Kim N.
I do ahve to say I like the look and the feel of the place. Im not convinced however that I love the good. It's pretty decent if you're looking for someone modernist take on Asian flavors. I think when they first opened they didn't have dim sum yet, and I've not tried that portion of the menu. Like PF Chang's not too far away, it's Asian flavors done in a safe, non bold way for those who are a bit timid about such cuisine.
(3)Pankil S.
We ordered vegetable dumplings and Eggplant Tofu.Dumplings were nice and so was eggplant. The only wrinkle was eggplant skin!!. It's skin. I am guessing eggplant was frozen and thus skin could not be chewed completely but other wise dish was awesome. Service was nice. Waitress kept checking on us. Overall we liked our lunch.
(3)Hello G.
Let me say this, any restaurant with multiple speciality from different countries is a O-KAY place for me but Ginger Cafe some what proved me wrong. They have a large selection for everyone to choose from for example from Thai food to Vietnamese noodles. The prices are high but they don't come in small portions. You can order spicy thai fried rice, share it with two friends and still be full, unless you are a heavy eater. From what I have tried their food are above average and better than what's across the street (PFCHANGY). Their pineapple fried rice is an absolute favorite of mine, the taste hit me like a storm. Maybe I was in the mood for it that's why I'm saying it but It was very good compare to most place. I also tried their Saigon noodles, for me it was too much greens, it was more of a healthy dish for those who loves their greens. There was a lot more that my co-workers ordered, their names are not on the top of my head right now but from what I remembered, I didn't not dislike any dishes that came my way. They have a bar their which I thought was great. Their drinks are good, the bartender knows how to make his drinks very well. They also have a very good selections of drinks for those who like liquors or non-liquors. The location is nice and the decoration of the restaurant is fabulous. I felt like pulling out my camera and taking pictures of the whole place. it's a perfect place for dinner or lunch, with friends, family, and enemies. I would return to try more of their items or just TOGO the pineapple fried rice and eat it all at home. haha Anyways that's my review hope it helps
(3)Antonio S.
3 and 1/2 star? Really? A bit harsh. :-) I first went here on a recommendation from a co-worker. I thought this place would be a 'cafe' and didn't expect much. I walk in and BAAMMMM ... surprise ... surprise! Very nice decor! I would have never guessed this place looked like this on the inside from having the name 'cafe' attached to it. The overall service was good and the food is really tasty! I have been here twice already and haven't been disappointed. I will say the draw backs are: 1) Parking during lunch sucks arse. 2) It's small inside. Other then that. Great place to eat! p.s. great pricing!
(4)Yvonne N.
I'll give this place 1.5 stars, waitress was nice and attentive. The hubby was craving tamarind tiger prawns and garlic noodles, so I did a yelp search and didn't come up with much in the SJ area. I was hesitant to try ginger cafe due to the mix of reviews, but I did see a few yays on the prawns and noodles...so I tried the place and I'm sad to say that it's a hands down for me! The garlic noodles were so AWFUL...it was like asian fettuccini alfredo overly sauced without garlic. The tamarind tiger prawns were definitely not prawn sized and were just shrimp but battered and fried with the sauce poured over. The sauce was tasty and tamarind like, I give them that. Both dishes were not what I expected or have had before. But what was I expecting eh, I'm not in SF. The noodles were not edible and hard to scarf down, the waitress was nice and switched out the dish to another noodle dish - props to her, wasn't sure if that was possible ! We also had the sea bass, which had good flavor. Portions are big, overpriced and they have a bar! Unfortunately, I won't be coming back to Ginger Cafe based on the noodles and prawns!
(1)Lisa C.
We've never noticed this restaurant, but my brother suggested it for dinner the other day. We came here on the early side at 5:30pm because we had a toddler with us. Despite the atmosphere, the restaurant was suitable for kids - they used a creamer to store a bunch of crayons - that was a hit because it was different. And, they had some coloring paper as well. Now, if your child is loud, it will be noticeable because the restaurant is so quiet. A lot of different dishes to choose from. It was hard to narrow down our order. We ordered: - dim sum sampler - Bok Choy Dumplings, Blue Crab Dumplings, Curry Scallop Puffs, Shrimp Puffs, and Steamed Pork Buns. This was pretty good and fresh. My favorite was the blue crab dumplings. - fongsa soft-shell crab - great dish - very tasty. You can take all of the loose panko crumbs and mix it in with rice to finish off the dish. - lemongrass chicken - my husband really enjoyed this dish. - twice cooked pork tenderloin - one of my favorites of the night. The pork was so tender. - pineapple fried rice - this was OK. Nothing special about the rice. - garlic noodles (from kid's menu) - I had ordered this for my daughter since it wasn't spicy. I was not as impressed with the noodles. They were a little on the oily side. - porcupine custard buns - came out piping hot. This was good, but it was a little strange because it was in the shape of a rodent, complete with "eyes" (sesame seed). The portions are a good size. You can ask for less or more spiciness in the dishes. I think this restaurant will be a regular place in our rotation of restaurants.
(4)John-Michael C.
I love the decor and still think this would be a great location for a lounge if they would only move to a different area in fear of code violation and then upgrade their speaker system to blast some real mood music. Otherwise the food isn't necessarily great nor bad. There are some fine touches in the fusion department that they are trying to portray despite the very traditional appointed kitsch. The typical food is good but I would come here strictly for the porcupine bun... *drool I'm what you would call a dessert lover at heart. ;D
(3)Claudia S.
Came here a couple times and it's got nice quiet ambiance with good food.
(4)Wolfram A.
Fantastic fried tofu. I really enjoyed lunch here. Service was good and fast.
(4)Jasmine C.
I don't know where to begin. Um. Well, I'm finally writing a review that I've been dying to write ever since I started working there. And I finally get to because I am FREE and no longer working there! Hooray! (Just kidding guys.) Ginger Cafe's stuff is GOOD. To me at least and for a lot of people that eat there (seriously, there's one family that keeps coming in every week.) In no way does this place claim to be 'authentic Chinese food', and please do NOT come here expecting it to be a traditional hole-in-the-wall restaurant, because it's not! It's got a bit of everything. I love the food there because they give you pretty big portions and it's yummy. It's also meant to be served family style. That being said, let's move to the food. Items like orange chicken or sweet and sour pork is good, yes, but it's not OMGIT'STODIEFOR. I don't think it's meant to be that way, because it's not their specialty. Try their Potato Beef (or chicken. The potato's almost like fries...except in half moon shaped), or Twice Cooked Pork Tenderloin, or Mango Chicken (a popular choice), or Wor Ba Prawn! These are amazingly good, depending on your taste buds. I'd suggest Salt and Pepper Calamari or Catfish, Black Bean Sauce Catfish, or Sea bass if you're feeling fishy. Personally, I don't like sea bass...but the sauce for the steamed one is SO good *_*. Their lunch specials a good deal too. Their best daily soup is on Friday, Beef Stew. (Only up until 3:00pm!) It is so, SO good. I wish I could take the whole stock home. Also, you can definitely modify to however you want the dish to be. Less salty, more spicy, or change the chicken to beef, they'll do it for you (don't feel afraid to tell your server! It's not a bother at all.) I've even seen someone order Mandarin tofu in Thai Curry sauce! They have a full bar, plasma TV if you don't want to miss on your sports, a pretty bathroom, outside seating, and it's very clean. Really. I would know because I was the one scrubbing down the chairs and tables. T_T Anyways, definitely give this place a try. Even though it looks alot like P.F. Changs, I like Ginger better because of the taste, food portions, and friendly fast service. I used to be iffy about the prices, but hey, they give you alot of food. It's upscale like P.F.'s, but I suppose more bang for the buck. For some dishes at least. Oh, for the record, I can speak Chinese. So can the owner of the place, the cook, few servers, and one of the managers, David. :] All my love Ginger, it's been a great 5 and a half months working with everyone. *update* They have this new dessert called Coconut Mango Shot ($2.00 for one, $4.50 for three) and it is SO good. It cleanses your palate and makes you want more. Be sure to check it out!
(4)Grant L.
I came here due to the great reviews from my fellow yelpers. Our party was a party of 10 that took up the middle spot at 8:30pm on a Friday night, not sure why but when I called in to book a table they said they were super busy, the place was half full when I got there. Since there were 10 of us, we got 5 orders of the Dinner for two for $30 bucks, we thought great deal since we can get appetizers, two course, rice bowl (or fried rice), and a dessert from their preset dinner meal plan. Appetizers came out fairly quickly after we ordered, it was the wait after the appetizers and main course that irritated me, 45 minutes we saw anything else. I wouldn't mind the wait if the place was busy but the tables around us were getting their food prior to us and most of the sat down after us. There wasn't an apology during the wait other than the food is coming once from our waitress. If we had to wait that long the courtesy thing was to provide something else to hold us over. We were about to bail but just like a movie our food came FINALLY. Only thing that saved this from being a 1 star review was the food was bloody good. But I can't say I'll be dining inside again, maybe just take out
(2)Benjamin B.
Overall it was OK. The service was great, the food was OK. I would have like more veggies with my lunch entree, but the flavor was good and the variety on the menu was nice to see. Add more veggies and you'd have a raving fan.
(3)Krys B.
I'd really like to give this place 3.5 stars, because it's not my first choice to eat, but it is darn good. I chose to give it 4 stars because it's a great choice for vegetarians - there's a whole section on the menu for veggie chicken and tofu items. Outside, this place doesn't look impressive at all. Isn't that often the case? Inside, the decor is attractive and modern, very tasteful. It's not quite intimate, but it makes for a good friends-going-to-dinner or not-so-serious date. The food is DELICIOUS. There's a huge bar, and while the dessert menu could use a little work, you can get your sweet calories in with a milkshake or cocktail instead. Sure, I recommend it. It's convenient, quiet, and tastylicious.
(4)Brian K.
Ambiance: Excellent Service: OK Food: Blue crab dumplings: Tasty, but "Where's the Crab"? Only found a few strands in ours. Scallop Puffs: Tastes more like an Indian Samosa with a few small hints of scallop meat. Heavy and greasy. Coconut Chicken Soup: Very good, creamy and similar to Thai Style, only not Spicy and lacks ginger. I would still recommend this. Shanghai Noodle Triple Delight: Excellent! Huge portion, tasty with lots of stuff. My favorite dish here so far.
(4)Sahiba J.
Ginger Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants. It offers a wide variety of unique dishes to chose from. Their blend of spices steps away from the average American Chinese food and gives a new twist to Chinese food. Service is great although seating for large groups is a problem because the store is fairly small. Portions are generous! I would definitely rate this in my top 5 favorite Chinese fusion restaurants. My favorite dish on the menu is their fried tilapia. It is the best fish I have ever had, hands down. Best part is the restaurant offers a good variety of vegetarian food that is not bland!
(4)Danielle P.
Every single time I come here the food is amazing. I have tried at least 5 different main dishes on their menu and every one of them is delicious. I would recommend a dish but they are all so good that it wouldn't be fair to the other dishes :) The waitress (we always seem to get the same one!) is always very nice and remembers us when we come in. The atmosphere is very nice and the prices aren't too expensive. For two people you can get away with spending $35 on dinner. If you don't feel like going out to eat and you want to stay in your sweat pants (which is sometimes the case for us) then you can order over the phone and just pick it up! Best Chinese food I've had in a VERY long time. YUM! After talking about it I think I'm going to go tonight!
(5)Allison B.
So good! Admittedly, very americanized, but good. I had a cold and desperately wanted some good soup, so I came here and ordered the wonton soup and pot stickers. Both were excellent! Service was pretty good, though waitress had no personality and seemed little cold. Food was quick and well done thoug. Nice atmosphere too...
(4)HK R.
The Ginger Cafe is awesome! Had a fantastic meal of dumplings with blue crab and another order shanghai style, spicy coconut soup and the orgasmic alaskan king crab legs - ending with the cream cheese dessert! Just forget that its in a strip center and drag your carcass there - you will pleasantly transported into a beautiful restaurant that you can share with your friends and family! Enjoy!
(4)Shawn P.
You walk in and the decor is pretty cool! My first thought is that the food won't be able to live to the surroundings, man, I couldn't be more wrong. I had the dim sum sampler platter (they have dim sum all day everyday,yay!) which is 2 of 5 or 6 small bites.) Some unusual but very tasty pairings of flavors. I also tried the sesame balls w/red bean paste, porcupine egg custard cups and a tofu eggplant dish that was divine. Our waiter was very polite and helpful and had great timing. Definitely going there again to try other items.
(5)Kelly K.
Pleasant surprise in a small strip shopping complex in Sunnyvale. Ginger Cafe advertises itself as Chinese Cuisine with Asian influences. It definitely delivers what it advertises in a good way. Came at happy hour another surprise for me and my husband! Ordering an appetizer plate rewards you with a complimentary glass of house wine from Salmon Creek or a beer. My husband and I ordered the dimsum sampler which came with leek stuffed potsticker, fried blue crab dumpling, BBQ porkbun, (2 each of 5 kinds of dimsum), fried curry turnover, and steamed shrimp roll. Our entrees were chicken curry and sautéed shrimp with vegetable. Chicken curry was served Thai-style in a clay pot and cooked with coconut milk. Very delicious-- not very spicey could use a little more heat for the curry for- hards-- but it was full of flavor and the green beans were still crisp and eggplant was cooked to perfection and chicken was moist! The shrimp with vegetables was a delightful medley of shrimp, baby bok choy, broccoli, snow peas, button mushrooms, and bamboo shoots cooked in sauce that reminds me of moo- goo gai pan but the difference is that it's cooked with shrimp. Vegetables cooked just right! Pork fried cooked with BBQ pork and scrambled egg tasted just like what grandma would make! Yummy! Two thumbs up! Service was efficient too!
(4)Alison T.
Fresh late night eats are hard to come by ... especially when you've gone back and forth and exhausted 2 Pho restaurants in the Sunnyvale area and you're about to resort to In-n-Out (which you know is a choice that you'll really regret later on). But all of a sudden, you see a gleaming "Open" sign in a newly built strip mall that looks like it might have some decent edibles inside. Ginger Cafe is like a Pasta Pomodoro for the Asian set - the decor inside was impressive, and the high ceilings had me mesmerized for a good minute! The Asian zen feel was quite apparent, and then I looked at the menu. The food was a bit overpriced and not very "fresh" in terms of ideas or concepts. It seemed like an Asian one-stop shop, with Thai dishes, Vietnamese spring rolls, Chinese dim sum, and Asian salads on the fold-out menu. The waiter was nice enough, and took our orders for Hong Kong Pan Fried Noodles and Teriyaki Chicken Salad which was served promptly on clean white plates. The ingredients were fresh (as advertised) but the flavors were either too salty or too run-of-the-mill. It was good, but not amazing. We definitely weren't picky at that time of the evening though, so it was satisfying enough. I would have loved to have a few spins on the typical Asian dishes so it would be step up from PF Chang's and a little more unique. In short, Ginger Cafe needs to spice it up, otherwise we'll be better off going to the hole-in-the-wall family establishments and the local In-n-Out. I know a girl who works here, so it'd probably be better to visit when she's working. :D UPDATE: Try the Caramelized Garlic Prawns - they were delicious.
(3)Sudha S.
Vegetarians - try the Spicy cumin tofu and the fried tofu.. veg fried rice is not bad, nothing exceptional. Lunch menu is a good deal..tasty, filling and not too expensive..
(4)Carl S.
I have been here twice and loved it both times. However, I do not recommend the Pad Thai. That was bland and tasteless! One of my friends ordered that to share and I didn't like it. But I did love my usual chicken curry and the beef and potatoes dish! So much flavor! And the soup was wonderful as well. The service is great and most of the food wonderful. This is my new place for lunch (As long as you avoid the pad thai(
(4)Tracy C.
Ate here for the first time last night for dinner. My new favorite for asian fusion! we got the pan fried blue crab dumpling and vegetarian dumpling for dim sum. both were hot, fresh and super yummy! then we had the crispy tofu in mandarin sauce and eggplant tofu in garlic sauce for entrees. both were very sizable portions split between four people. we would have had leftovers, but the crispy mandarin tofu was so addictive, we finished it all! we were stuffed when we left. prices are very reasonable. all this with two glasses of wine and two thai iced teas came to $60. not bad! this is also a great place for vegetarians and tofu lovers. the interior is cute and warm and inviting. we all really enjoyed our experience. the dim sum runs at $4.50
(4)Ashley R.
Everything about this place is okay. Service - good Food (served family style) - good Ambiance - good but a little crowded Drinks - good (I had a mango cosmo) I'll probably try this place again and hopefully order something that stands out more.
(3)Nirmal S.
The service is so bad I cannot find words to describe it. The hole in the wall Asian places in Milpitas offer better service than this one. 0.5 * for food. Not sure I am getting old and cranky, the noise level at the place was unusually very very loud.
(1)Lori K.
Ordered Mango Curry Chicken - it was delicious and I'm still thinking about it. Also tried my friend's Crispy Tofu in Mandarin sauce, also very good!!
(4)Christine P.
Wanted to take a little time after our wedding to write about Ginger Cafe. It was WONDERFUL to have them cater our wedding. We had a 260 person wedding in November at the San Jose Woman's Club. It was a completely blank slate which means that we really had to rely on our vendors. We met with Bo and Tuyen and their experience really showed through. Since it was a Vietnamese/Japanese wedding, they knew about certain cultural preferences (like honored guests get served first, etc...) and they knew what types of food to suggest. On the day of the wedding, they had their kitchen set up outside of the venue and used the kitchen for plating. Everyone said they LOVED their food, even the vegetarian guests told us how much they enjoyed it. Our menu included three appetizers: shrimp on puffcakes, shrimp on sugarcane, and a vegetarian dumpling. Our main entrees included a cauliflower soup, salmon salad, beef/lobster, veggies, and a banana cheesecake. When we went tasting, we fell in love with the cauliflower crab soup -- it was one of the reasons why we booked with Ginger Cafe. Knowing how busy and tired we were on the wedding day, Bo brought us an extra soup because he knew how much we loved it. While we didn't get to eat much that night, Ginger Cafe packed our foods in a togo boxes. After the after-party was done, we scrambled up to our rooms and just ate out of the togo boxes. It was HEAVENLY. The lobster was amazing and my husband couldn't stop talking about how tender the beef was. We killed both of the cheesecakes that were packed for us. The most important aspect for us at the wedding was the food and the booze for all the people we loved the most in the world. We were able to invite everyone we wanted without breaking our bank and the food was fantastic. A major thank you to Bo and Tuyen for making our wedding absolutely perfect. P.S. Anyone who compares this place to Panda Express AND gives Taco Bell 5 stars is seriously a joke. You must be used to crap-dining. Who can take a person like that seriously?
(5)Tani H.
This place is actually great. When you don't want the overpriced loudness of PF Changs down the block, come here. Great wine selection and great sized pours, ample food that is very tasty, nice people ... a lovely restaurant inside. Highly recommend it!
(4)Brian M.
Wow... Who knew that right across the street from P.F. Chang's would be Chinese food that I like much better. I had the Combination Chow Mein preceded by Cream Cheese Crab Puffs. Both were delicious. Big portions, fresh vegetables and meat/seafood, no-wait seating and very polite service make for a superior dining experience. I wholeheartedly recommend Ginger Cafe to anyone!
(5)Celina P.
Great food! I love their chicken chow mein and the orange chicken. I enjoy the chow mein because of the flavor and fresh vegetables! After being introduced to Ginger Cafe, this is the restaurant that I go to for my favorite dish. I take out or dine in. I enjoy dining in because it is very clean and the servers are friendly.
(5)Sandra L.
By far one of my favorite Chinese fusion places to eat at! I love, love, love this place, especially if you are coming for lunch and need to get in, out and back to work in an hour! One of the big reasons I give this place 5 stars! When ever I'm in the mood for some good fusion food I love coming to the Ginger Cafe. The food is always freshly cooked, hot, full of flavor, and the portions are good for leftovers! Some of my favorite items are: - Chinese Sausage Papaya Salad - Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups - Chicken Corn Chowder Soup (not on the menu) - Mongolian Beef - Crispy Tofu in Mandarin Sauce - Chili Chicken That is just naming a few and don't forget you can get a decent selection of Dim Sum all day! You can't tell me you've never craved Dim Sum for dinner before, well I know I have and you can get it here! The prices are a little on the higher side but in my opinion worth the price you pay in taste and portion. The service has always been friendly and the food has always come from the kitchen quickly and steaming. I wouldn't hesitant at recommending Ginger Cafe to anyone and has introduced this place to many already!
(5)Susan D.
Don't let the 'Cafe' part of the Ginger Cafe's name fool you like it did my date and me tonight. We stopped into Ginger Cafe tonight while looking for some fast, easy dinner... we didn't get that. This is a nice, well-designed and decorated restaurant with higher-end entrees, dim sum, top-shelf alcohol and a decent looking wine selection. It's interior was so tranquil and nice, it reminded me of my favorite high-end fusion restaurant in Vegas, Little Buddah. Most of the food was pretty good, though not authentic and not as good as Little Buddah, or as pricey though! Since Dennis O has a good point about 'don't go to a fusion restaurant and expect authentic'... I'll bump my 3.5 star up to a 4 star review. This will even out the 3 star that my date will give... if he ever writes another dumb review that is. haha My Saigon Noodles were great though I have no idea why they were called that as they seemed a typical Chinese noodle dish. The shrimp, calamari and veggies were fresh and cooked well. The Dim Sum shu mai and shrimp dumplings were pretty good too, though not the best I've had. I wouldn't hesitate going back for them again if I was craving off-hours dim sum. The Viet spring roll and fried roll though... I'd skip them. Even the fish sauce that accompanied them was sweet and not NicMamish at all. haha Look at the white girl complain... So, this joint is a lil nicer and more expensive than I like on a typical dinner. Our bill came to about 50$ for 2 people... ouch. It would be fine if we were on a planned nice dinner out but just to stop by a 'cafe'... not so much. That being said, it's still nice enough that I might be back. Might see ya there!
(4)Merlin H.
I really like Ginger Cafe, I have never dined in but I had ordered take away 5-6 times. Food is great. Recently I found a piece of metal in my pork fried rice after I finished about half of my entree. I wanted to vomit it all up. The next day I brought the piece of metal in along with my receipt, so they can replace whatever utensil the metal came from and hopefully avoid this from happening again. They seemed to care and were apologetic, but didn't even offer to replace refund my meal. In all fairness it was 2 days later, and I was eating left overs, but still. Classy thing to do would of been to offer a refund. I don't think I'll be eating at Ginger Cafe again.
(1)Liz H.
Since our last review this place has improved, and so it was time for an update. Maybe because we are ordering different dishes now, or maybe because the menu has changed, but we like the dishes here now better than before, and we have become regulars at this place. Our favorites are the Potstickers starter dish, Orange Chicken, Kung Pao chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Saigon street chow fun. They also have a good selection of vegetarian dishes. We took several vegetarian friends over, and they all loved them. Their lemon cassave dessert is awesome. Something I have never had anywhere else, but I'm a big fan! As I mentioned in my previous review, prices are good, they have a large selection of yummy cocktails, and nice, modern decor. Overall, I now would recommend this place, especially if you find that PF Changs on the opposite side of the street has a long waiting time.
(4)Jeremy H.
I have been working with Ginger Cafe for the past 6 months, in preparation for them catering our wedding, which happened last weekend. The portions of this review which are specific to their catering service might not totally apply to some readers, but you should read anyway. Think of it this way - their decor had nothing to do with our wedding, so all I can review is their food and service. By far, Ginger Cafe was our most reliable wedding vendor. They jumped through quite a few hoops to make our banquet amazing. When we found out that our venue would not allow us to cook within the building, only to use a *food warmer*, we didn't know what to do, as reheated stir-fried chinese food was not acceptable. But the guys at Ginger told us that if we could just find an outdoor space for them near the venue, they'd set up their gas powered woks, and cook wherever. They ended up across the street, cooking in a fenced-off alleyway, ferrying the dished across 2 lanes of cross-traffic, making their job much more difficult, but no one even noticed any effect on the serving of the dishes. We had countless compliments on how delicious the food was. We had a fair mix of ethnicities, and everyone told us how delicious it was - even the eaters of typically bland food, and those picky about quality. They even kept tabs on the other venders. Our bartender got a little drunk, unfortunately, and Ginger cafe stepped in to make sure that there weren't bar glasses being left everywhere. Any of their dim sum is great, but have the shrimp and leek dumplings - full-sized, whole shrimp, and skin which is not chewy, but not soft. Cumin lamb. Papaya Salad. all good. The favorites at our banquet were these, though: the Filet Mignon Luc Lac and the Sea Bass. Both of these were so flavorful, and so tender in texture. My cousin specifically came to me and gave me a huge chunk of sea bass on a tiny plate, with nothing else in the middle of the wedding, telling me that I *HAD* to eat it. I did, and even after it having been cooked in the most inconvenient of places, and run across a street, to be plated and put on our table, it was hot and delicious. I see a few people saying that they dislike the fact that ginger cafe uses tortilla-like skins for their peking duck. To that I say... they *do* label themselves as a Fusion Restaurant. If you want standard chinese peking duck... go to a peking duck restaurant. Ginger Cafe has completely won me over with their delicious food, and their serious dedication. I live in Oakland, but look forward to the time when i can drive an hour down to Sunnyvale and have a meal there.
(5)Karen W.
Food was a bit bland for my taste. There were some dishes that was like Chinese food but with a fusion/American feel to it. Just more authentic and cheaper then PF Changs. Great for folks who want the service and ambiance but the taste I think lacks a bit. Overall just ok
(2)Jeff T.
Where do I begin? As Shirley Bassey famously says in her hit single. I heard this place was good through a good friend of mine. I have no idea what munchies she was having from her pregnancy, but wow, I would never return here again. It was not even the service that turned me off, it was the FOOD. It was not edible, it felt like they bought microwavable food from your local grocery store and heated it up and called it Asian fusion. All day dim sum: Lobster dumpling- Sounding appealing, but it was heavy on your mouth and it tasted more like ground beef and dumpling fighting. Siu Mai- I've definitely had better. Costco microwavable ones are more satisfying than this. Filet Mignon Luc Lac- This entree costs $24, and oh boy, I felt so bad wasting my hard earned money on something that I could've ate at home for maybe $5? Buy some beef at Safeway, add some pepper, soy sauce and onions and call it Filet Mignon. It was salty, no orgasm in your mouth and left a bad thick texture on my tongue. Saigon Street Chow Fun- Hmm...again sorry to continue my banter, but it was mostly Sizzling Satay Three Delights- I was looking forward to this one because it has fish, calamari and chicken. All things I loved! But it came out very oily and it was the taste that ma Man, I'm never going to trust a restaurant that is named "Cafe" to turn out good. I have no idea why this has a lot of reviews and 3.5 stars and 152 reviews, with that many reviews, it makes me wonder if those people who reviewed high have medically correct taste buds or low expectations with food. If I am around the area, I'd rather eat at Target food court than this place. Sorry Ginger Cafe, good luck with everything.
(1)Natasha S.
LOVE this place ... super super yummy. ive only gone wrong here ONCE in the many times i have been here. what i ordered was the mango chicken ... puke! otherwise ive tried: the cream cheese crab puffs ... (yummy!) soft shell crab rolls ... (interesssting) string been chicken ... (my favorite!!) orange chicken ... (never can go wrong with that) crispy tofu in mandarin sauce ... (was skeptical but it was surprisingly good!) overall: definitely will go back to this place as many times as i can
(5)Emily Z.
Came to this nice little restaurant with my co-workers on my second day of my new job. To be honest, if it wasn't for them... I don't think I will go here since it's tucked away in a small business plaza. The decor inside is cute. Lots of A-Z-N "artifacts" occupying the place. It's big enough to host a small group of people but I'm thinking no more than 12. Service was okkkkkkkay.... The very first time, since there's about 12 of us, and not everyone had cash so we wanted to have split checks... our waiter kept going on and on about how each credit card transaction was gonna take a VERRRRY long time to process... and when one of my co-worker asked him exactly what's consider a "long" time... the guy said..."about 1 min" =\ ANNNYWAYS. That was just a weird little snippet but other than that, the service was seriously just OKAY. Our water wasn't always being topped off and the food came out a little slow. But the only reason why I would continue going there is their Fried Tofu dish. For $8.50 you get soup, choice between steam/friend rice, and your main dish. Not bad for the price of lunch and the flavor is AH-MAY-ZING. Another great dish is their Blue Crab dumpling thing in the apps section. The flavor is really nicely put together given that they mix the crab meat with chhhhhhheeese (if you know me, you'll know that I'm not a fan of cheese). Overall, a great place to dine in Sunnyvale.
(4)A. M.
I haven't eaten here for years since they opened and I was dismally reminded why. We started with their Dim Sum Sampler, which was okay, the pan fried items were a bit on the oily/greasy side. We also ordered, the Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps, Lemon Grass Chicken, Sauteed Tofu with Cumin, and white rice. Everything we ordered tasted overly greasy/oily and/or overly seasoned or spiced. Cumin is already a very strong spice and a little bit goes a long ways. This tofu dish was literally drowning in cumin and it was so strong that it overpowered all the other ingredients and all I tasted was the cumin, nothing else. Funny, how I didn't taste the lemon grass in the chicken dish. For an Asian restaurant, the rice was really terrible. We ended up taking most of it home and thought I'd give it another shot as leftovers for lunch, but it was worst the second day. All the flavors and spices and oil that was marinading overnight just magnified. I couldn't eat it and just threw it out. I had to eat an apple and brush my teeth to rid of all the excess cumin and oily residue. With all that said, the service was actually good despite our bill being overcharged.
(2)Michaela S.
After a long half-day of Bridal Fair stuff, the tasty treats that Ginger Cafe had at the booth at the fair had us wanting more!!! So off we ladies went to Ginger Cafe..... It's been a while since I had dim sum, so the appetizer platter of the Dim Sum was good choice. Chow Fun was also consumed as was curry.... The food was yummy and service was good. The atmosphere and decor of the restaurant was nice, as we got a very fancy yet eastern looking booth. I think it was a Great idea for Ginger Cafe to post up a booth a a Bridal Fair. Not only will they possibly get clients for weddings / events but they will get patrons of their restaurant, just as we ladies were (and I sure will be in the future!!)
(4)owen l.
Great vegetarian choices. Awesome service
(5)Elise G.
Americanized Chinese food that's yummy with good service and ambiance. Lunch was inexpensive, filling, and tasty. We ordered a whole bunch of dim sum and a main dish. Only $49 for the three of us. The lobster dumplings were so flavorful. It was a steamed rice dumpling filled with corn, potatoes, lobster, and some sort of creamy sauce. It was so good. The shrimp and Baby bock choy dumpling was another favorite. You could tell it was freshly made because the vegetables were green and juicy and the dumpling wrapper was gooey and soft like mochi. The shrimp was cooked to perfection and so moist. Get the porcupine custard buns. They're so cute and a nice ending to your meal. The spines are all crunchy and the filling is sweet and chestnut-like. I wasn't a huge fan of the pan fried blue crab dumpling, har gow, nor the Shanghai dumpling (although one of my friends described it as one of her favorites). A mediocre item was the pan fried leek dumpling. The ginger chicken with green beans and fried rice lunch entree was pretty good. It was slightly sweet with a little spicy kick to it. The meat was really soft and tender. Overall, i really liked this place and I would come here to eat over Sino, which has comparable food. This place has way better food and a cute, casual atmosphere.
(4)Lori K.
Ginger Cafe is a great place for some good Asian fusion food. It is not meant to be an authentic Chinese restaurant that I think some people expect it to be. They offer a variety of food including Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese dishes. Overall, the food is very good and everything I've tried has been very flavorful. I particularly like the potato beef. At first I was skeptical in thinking that the combination of potatoes and beef would go well together in an Asian dish, but the combination is actually really good and has tons of flavor! Another dish I like is the eggplant tofu. The eggplant is always very tender and cooked in a yummy garlic sauce. I can actually do without the tofu in this dish. I'm not a big fan of the fried tofu... it can sometimes get too tough for me. Despite the tofu, I always have to get this dish for the wonderful eggplant. I usually get my food to go, but sometimes I do enjoy dining in. The restaurant itself has very nice modern Asian decor and is a pleasant place to enjoy your meal. The prices are a bit higher than a typical Asian restaurant. Most of the main dishes range from around $10-17 and the soups and salads are a bit less. I think for the quality of food you get, the prices are well worth it. I'd rather pay a little more for good food than pay a cheap sum of money for greasy, mediocre Chinese takeout.
(4)mikaela g.
One word - DELICIOUS! Finally, I've found a place that does a delicious pork fried rice & beef chow fun! Also, their pork buns are pretty good, but expensive compared to Dim Sum King down the street.
(5)Judi M.
This is a great place to take a small group for lunch or dinner. I've been to Ginger Cafe several times for lunch and dinner and have never been disappointed. The people I've taken there have also loved the food and the ambiance. The decor is beautiful and really ties in all the different asian influences. I'm usually wary of asian fusion places. I think that you should stick to one cuisine and perfect that. But with Ginger Cafe, the concept works very well. The menu has a variety of dishes that most people are familiar with (curries, noodles, dim sum, dessert). They tap into Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Indian cuisines. The other great thing is that they can turn any of the dishes vegetarian which is a great plus since my lunch buddy is a vegetarian. They have a great variety of appetizers, but the prices are a bit steep for the portion size. They family dinner options which work awesome with groups of 3 - 5 since they have a variety of main and side dishes as well as desserts. The plus side of having such a varied menu is that no matter what you're craving, there will be something on the menu to satisfy it. My personal favorite is the Thai Curry Chicken. All I need is a bowl of this and some white rice and I'm set. The curry is spiced with just enough bite so that it's not bland, but not too spicy that it brings tears to your eyes. The other reason that I come to Ginger Cafe is for the desserts. I love their fried bananas with ice cream. Just don't try to eat it alone! It was definitely made to be shared since it has 5 scoops of ice cream and 2 fried bananas. After a filling meal of the curry and rice, I have just enough space to squeeze in a few bites of the fried bananas before I call it a night.
(4)Alex C.
Not having gone out to dinner with the parents for awhile, my dad decided that tonight would be a good night since I happened to have today off of work (e-mail doesn't count I guess). He made the suggestion that we come try Ginger Cafe based upon the recommendation of a friend, so off we went. From the outside, this place has big green neon signs which allows it to stand out at night much better than its competitors. On the inside, it is very clean, quiet, and nicely designed. However I did find the center seating to be a little weird in that there was a big round couch with tables surrounding it. Which meant that if you were sitting there, you would literally be sitting next to a complete stranger if there was someone else at the table besides you. But because the place was virtually deserted on a Wednesday evening, we were not seated there. =) Most of the items on their menu appeared to be of the spicy variety and unfortunately, my mom was not a fan of spicy food which would have normally excluded a good 90% of what was on the menu. However, the waitress informed us that we could choose have any of the dishes prepared without peppers if we didn't want our food to be spicy. We started off the night with some Soft Shell Crab fresh rolls. Which consisted of fried soft shell crab, green leaves, bean sprouts, mint and rice noodles wrapped in rice paper. Despite the fact that it came served cut into pieces, each piece still held together very well. And when combined with the delicious sauce that it was served with, it was definitely pretty darn good. For the main course we decided to share a plate of beef fried rice and Shanghai Street chow fun. The plates were each very big and the two dishes together were easily big enough to feed all three of us. Although not the best fried rice/chow fun I've ever had, it was fairly tasty even by my parents' harsh standards. As a side dish we ordered the eggplant tofu seared in garlic sauce. Despite it being a little too much soy sauce used for my mom's liking, I found the tofu was very fresh and stir fried to perfection. The service was always very friendly and attentive. Although not an overall exceptionally memorable experience, I thought this place was A-OK! However I probably won't be back simply because of how far away it is from where I live.
(3)Seong P.
I got the shrimp spring roll and the soft shell crab salad with extra lettuce and the sauce on the side. Both were tasty but I thought the proportions of the crab salad were off. Even with the extra lettuce, there was an overabundance of noodles and not enough lettuce. The crab portion was fine though. I'd eat here again if someone else suggested it.
(3)Vivian A.
My friends and I come here quite often. We usually get a dim sum as a starter but we always end up getting the Soft Shell Crab salad. It's so bomb! I order mine with extra lettuce and the sauce on the side (it can get a bit runny in my opinion). The salad is layered with rice noodles on the bottom, romaine lettuce, and then a perfectly friend soft shell crab on top. Try it! You'll love it!
(4)Donna Y.
I have booked marked this place since Connie has been here and I always pass by but never got a chance to stop in. Finally I decided last night to have dinner here. It was not busy at all and the space for the restaurant is really nice, I especially like the high ceiling which does make the place look bigger. The decor is modern with Asian flare. Now on to the food. Veggie Dumplings - These was okay, I think since they serve Dim Sum all day its been sitting in the steamer for to long cuz the wrapper skin was kinda mushy. The filling is okay. Porcupine Custard Buns - I love these and they are so cute. They are perfectly crunch on the outside but nice soft inside. Plus the custard is just sweet enough but not overly. Vegetarian Chicken Crispy Tofu - This was a surprised and not bad at all. The tofu is like Agadashi tofu texture and the Veggie Chicken was good. Sometimes the Veggie Chicken is not great and doesn't taste so good. I think the sauce tied everything well together. Plus this dish was huge. Came with 16 pieces and I only ate half. I say don't order the white rice, it was hard was not good. Overall dinner was nice and they have a bar and desserts too. I was just to full after everything else to try anything more, but I will keep this place in mind. Service was great but then again it was not busy.
(4)Belinda O.
Met up with a friend for a weekday lunch. It was located close to his office in Sunnyvale and it was a new place to try out. Hubby went with and here's what we all got. HK pan fried noodle - I decided to order off the regular menu. The pan fried noodles were pretty crispy around the edges, but most of it quickly got soggy because there was so much gravy. The toppings included veggies, shrimp, calamari, shredded pieces of chicken, etc. Pretty tasty, a little less gravy and it would have been perfect! Potato beef (lunch special) - the hubby ordered this one and it came with a bowl of soup and a choice of white or fried rice. The soup was yummy. This definitely seems like a "fusion" dish since you don't usually find potatoes in a Chinese dish, much less in a saute, but it was tasty and the hubby cleaned his plate! Overall - I'd probably go back. There are enough interesting sounding items to try out. It's a bit on the pricey side (maybe $2-3 more per dish than I'd like to spend), but it's a nice treat if you're having a tough day or week.
(3)Nadia L.
Although I didn't have a chance to try their food at PLEY despite the great comments I heard from those around me, I went for lunch on a Sunday and was quite impressed. Food - Tamarind Seafood Soup- Delicious with a good amount of tangy/spicy. The fish in soup was soft and very good - Lobster Dumpling- Interesting, though I'm not sure I'm a fan of the corn in there - Crispy tofu in a mandarin sauce- For me, one can never go wrong with fried tofu and the sauce served with this dish really made it stand out - Sea Bass served with a soy sauce and green onions- Fish was perfectly cooked - Crispy noodles with seafood- perfect dish to have on the first day of CNY - Tamarind prawns- prawns have to be one of my favorite things to eat and these were huge and tasty. Would definitely order this dish again Dessert: Custard porcupine- so cute and pretty tasty too. I'm not normally a fan of custard type desserts, but this one was good especially fresh out of the oven. Great restaurant and I'd go back to try more of their food.
(4)christina c.
1 star for the food, 5 stars for the service, thanks to Lauren. I weight the food at a restaurant more than service so I've given an overall score of 2 stars. Oh the decor is beautiful tho! I was impressed. My hubby and I have wanted to come visit here for a while since sampling some of their delicious food at the Yelp event at the beginning of the year. We ordered 3 different dishes and the tasting got progressively worse. We were completely shocked because we had loved their food so much before! We tried their fried crab puffs and although the filling was okay, the outside was not fried very well and soggy except for the very edges of the wrapper. Then we tried the soup that all the Yelpers on here were raving about, the Tamarind Seafood soup. We didn't even want to finish it but it was at least edible. What wasn't edible to us was the mango chicken. It was very strange for it to be in a creamy coconut sauce. We tried to eat it because we felt like we were wasting money but we could barely touch it. We really wanted to come back to try the King Crab legs but after this overall experience I don't see us coming back. It might have been a sign in the beginning but we were the only Asian diners at the restaurant!
(2)Jamie M.
To say that this place is mediocre would be generous. First off, service wasn't really there and the few times we did have service, they barely said a few words before leaving to the next table. In fact, when we first arrived, it took them at least 15 minutes to seat us. Apparently, there were no seats. If that was the case, why do I see two open tables? After ordering, I thought the food would at least be good. Nope, that wasn't the case. The Siu Mai tasted like it was all wonton and the lobster dumplings lacked lobster, just tasted like corn.The Saigon Street Chow Fun tasted like it came from TK Noodle. Actually, TK Noodle's Chow Fun is better. The Satay Three Delights Sizzling had a funky taste throughout. To make things worse, it had a weird after taste that seemed to not go away. The most disappointing item however was the filet mignon luc lac. For $24, I'm expecting something pretty damn good. Wrong! First, we ordered the filet mignon medium, but it's cooked well done. Second, this did not taste like filet mignon. Instead, it tasted like bistek (Filipino dish). I love eating bistek, but if I wanted bistek I would eat my mom's version of it at home. In conclusion, this place sucks and if I ever am in the area again, I'm going to Smoothie King.
(1)Angie I.
I think this restaurant boasts the best lettuce wraps i have found (much better than PF Changs in my opinion). Every time I come, I am tempted by the various appetizers, and I'm always glad to have tried them. Although very sticky (!) the potstickers are very tastey. I only wish this restaurant were able to seat more people!
(5)Joanne P.
My daughter (who is almost 4) and I went here yesterday for lunch. My husband is a chef from the CIA and I am convinced my daughter has inherited his palate. So, I look to her for her much valued opinion. =) To Drink: Fresh Squeezed Strawberry Lemonade: My daughter was in heaven. She absolutely loved it and said it was "a little bit sour but sweet like sugar" I personally thought it to be too sweet, perhaps that is why she liked it. Thai Iced Tea: creamy, smooth, right balance of black tea and milk. Thia iced tea is very sweet, and this one wasn't too overwhelming. To eat: Cream Cheese Crab Puffs: Fried to a delicious crisp but not too greasy. Crispy when you bite into it and nice creamy goodness on the inside. There is a generous amount of the imitation crab and the filling though creamy is also chunky. I happen to prefer it this way. The green onions are large and really fresh. Porcupine Custard Buns: Adorable! They look like cute little porcupines. My daughter had no problem biting right into these little suckers. She didn't care for the outside at all. In fact, she spit it out. So, she ripped them in half and ate the custard. I enjoyed the crispy little critters. Wish there would have been a little more custard, though. Pad Thai: A very generous amount served with at least 6 succulent shrimp (cleaned) when normally I am used to 3 or 4 from other places. The chopped peanuts were extra crunchy. I asked the waitress if they were fried and she didn't know. =( The noddles were cooked perfectly, and there was a perfect balance of sweet, savory and spicy. My daughter enjoyed the shrimp while I enjoyed the chicken and noodle part. Throughout the dish you got a kick of fresh lime which I found to be interesting because I didn't add any lime juice. I enjoyed this very much =) My daughter said "the shrimp were too big" I was glad they were not the little skimpy flavorless ones! For dessert: cassava cake: my daughter was set on ordering this before we even placed our drink ordered. So, I got this to go and we ate it for dessert after dinner. Nice fine pieces of cassava. I know with cassava it takes a long time to grate it. So, I appreciate the work that went into making this dessert nice and smooth. There was a richness to it that I have not tasted with the Filipino style cassava cake. It was a little heavy so limit yourself to a couple bites. Goes great with Vanilla tea. I certainly will be going back with my hubby so we can enjoy the spicy more sophisticated dishes.
(4)Tony L.
I decided to come here because I was tired of eating at PF Changs. I was a bit disappointed with this location because it seemed like they copied PF Changs. I went to the Gilroy location before and it was much better. Pros: It's not as busy and you will find parking here. Lunch specials are decently priced Cons: Not as authentic as their Gilroy location. It seemed more "PF chang"ish. My final verdict would be to try it if you are craving chinese food and don't want to wait in the PF Changs line.
(3)Eugene F.
I've driven by this place numerous times and finally had lunch today with my work aunties and work cousin. (Long story, but their my lunch buddies) We arrived on a Friday afternoon before the lunch rush made its way through. There was plenty of parking available since it was still early. The restaurant has really high ceilings and is really aesthetically appealing. Almost a PF Chang's but with lots more light, which is always nice, in my opinion. I ordered the ginger beef with egg fried rice. Portion-wise there was quite a bit, but it looked like they just opened a can of bamboo shoots, put some sauce in, and added some pre-cooked beef in it. There were hints of ginger in the dish, but not all that much. Service was ok, but after we received our food, we really never got much attention from the server beyond giving us the check which docks some stars from the total. Not that it mattered too much, but they also screwed up on my auntie's order. She ordered steamed rice with her entree rather than the fried rice, and came out with the fried rice anyway. Decent place that I would return to just to try the other dishes on the menu. Dim sum seemed pricier than what I'd seen at other places, so I'll probably not come back for that.
(3)Mark G.
Hard to tell from the nondescript stripmall setting that Ginger Cafe is pretty elegant inside. The ceilings are very high, and it looks like a very talented designer put together the color schemes, furniture, etc. Nice atmosphere. The food is solid--the Mongolian Beef was pretty good and the Kung Pao chicken was so-so. Better than the faux Indo-Chinese crap you find at Elephant Bar or P.F. Chang's. It was hard to rate our service (server was quick and attentive) as we were eating a VERY early dinner and the place was nearly empty. I agree with the other reviews that the pedestrian cuisine doesn't really match the chic atmosphere, but the food isn't bad at all. Good place for a date or a meal with friends.
(4)KatsuCat D.
The sweet sour dish I ordered was too peppery (which took away from the taste). I'm not a big pepper fan so I didn't enjoy it as much. However, I will give them some credit for creativity. They had this dim sum dish (tasted like a fried donut with custard - yummm), that looked like sonic the hedgehog ( I think its a porcupine). It was fun to eat it. :)
(3)Chad S.
My coworker suggested this place for lunch with our business partners. From the name of the restaurant I was thinking some kind of American food. By the time I figured out it's Chinese fusion, we were already on the way and too late for me to back out of it. Being a Chinese, anything non authentic is likely a disappointment to me, and this place is no exception. I ordered the XO sauce fried rice, thinking it a safe bet. What can really go wrong with that, right? Well, the rice was too soggy for fried rice, and the flavor was quite lackluster. They do give you a huge portion for ~$12 + tax & tips. Even with the sub par experience, I still consider my lucky after seeing the orange chicken that my coworker ordered. The waiter also messed up one of the orders, so one of us didn't get started till we almost finished.
(2)Swati L.
I've grown up eating "american-style" chinese, and this is up there with the best of them. If I could I would get delivery from only this place. Alas I live to far to come frequently and they don't deliver. The food was delicious, the service was great (very friendly waitstaff, timely bringing out the food and good experience overall.) The combo fried rice was the bomb, lots of chunks of lean meat and shrimp with a delicious smoky, eggy flavor throughout, de-lish. I also enjoyed the pecan prawns, and the dry-sauteed greenbeans with chicken. My favorite was the asparagus beef, which though not as crispy as PF Chang's Mongolian beef had a similar sweet, savory and spicy flavor. Decor was nice and I liked that I didn't feel like we were trying to have dinner in a nightclub (the comparison to PF Chang's is inevitable, it's exactly across the street.) My family forgoes PF Chang's and only goes to Ginger Cafe now for all these reasons.
(5)R M.
Before I start, I want to say that we came here on a Thursday night and the place was relatively empty -- so, we did not experience the bad/slow service that other people had yelped about. This rating is based solely on the food. We ordered some dim-sum and some spring rolls. To be honest, there are lots of great places to get great dim-sum in the bay area -- this place really can't compare to those. But, I will say that the dim-sum was decent (at least they had my favorite soup dumplings!). The spring rolls were really good. All in all, this was a pretty decent place -- also, it is near Rooster T. Feathers, so good place to get some dinner before a show.
(4)Kid F.
Visited here to use a $20 Opentable check, and was pleasantly surprised at the tasty food. They have an extensive menu that covers a mash-up of different Asian cuisines like Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. We had the dinner for two (about $30-40 or thereabouts, depending on the level you pick). The choice we had included an appetizer, chicken, beef or pork dish, rice, and a dessert. There were several choices for each category; we ended up with the following: Appetizer: crab puffs (4 fried dough triangles stuffed with crab, cream cheese & green onions), served with a sweet sauce. These were very tasty but most definitely were super packed with calories. I would eat them again, but not regularly. Rice: egg fried rice, served in individual bowls for each person. They heaped it into a round dome towering over each bowl, so there was plenty enough for the meal. It was decent - rice, peas, egg (& onion?) - nothing spectacular, but for rice you want kind of a backdrop for the rest of the meal, not something that's going to compete flavor-wise. Not sure what others were talking about with it being greasy; ours was fine, not greasy & it tasted good. 1st entree: Mango chicken, which had nice tender white chicken pieces in a mild coconut sauce and chunks of fresh mango. The mango was nice and sweet, not too tart, and complemented the chicken nicely. The overall flavor seemed more like a Thai dish with the sweeter coconut sauce. Would order this again. 2nd entree: Mongolian beef. So good! I want this again, just two days after having eaten there. The beef was very tender and packed full of flavor (but not salty); they put just enough green onions in there to balance the flavor-packed punch of the meat. It was some of the better Mongolian beef I've had (and I'm half-Chinese, grew up with Chinese food) - would definitely order this again. Dessert: a crepe type hot pastry with gooey freshly cooked banana on the inside, served with whipped cream and split between two people. Surprisingly good! Asian restaurants tend not to do desserts all to well, but they have several choices for dessert on the menu here that look really good. We chose this one after asking the waitress for suggestions, and were not disappointed. I would order this again too - it made us both really happy to eat and we contemplated getting another, even though we were both stuffed to the gills. Drinks: jasmine hot tea (there are several teas to choose from if you ask), and I had a Blue Hawaii cocktail which was much more tropical than I anticipated, but was very good (and very blue). Their wine menu is decent and their cocktail drink list is extensive, so if you want some booze with your meal, they can definitely set you up with that. Overall, I really like this restaurant: the food is full of flavor, their drink menu is good, and the service was solid (our waitress filled our waters, asked if everything was okay, and basically checked in with us regularly throughout the entire meal). Would love to go back to try some of their dim sum and get more of that Mongolian beef (yum)!
(4)Sapna K.
This was our first time at Ginger Cafe. I will strongly recommend it. loved the food. Especially Tofu with Mandarin Sauce. The portion sizes are very good and so is the ambience. Reminded me of the excellent Chinese food in India....
(5)Beini Q.
I haven't actually had there entrees, only dim sum-which is great! It's cooked to order, fresh and good quality. I am surprised that other people say their dim sum is not good, I have had dim sum at many places in the South Bay, San Francisco, in Boston, and in China also! I also like to go to their location in Gilroy by the Outlets when I go shopping. Great fresh dim sum for a fair price!
(4)Jasmine L.
Ginger Cafe has a nice atmosphere with its high ceilings, interesting decorations and good ambiance. I think the glamor stops there. Dishes seemed overpriced. The food didn't taste authentic. It was hard to find someone that even knew how to speak Chinese. This is a place where you would be peeking into the "Chinese" restaurant and not finding many Chinese people. BAD SIGN for those who want good Chinese food. One of the pros of coming here to dine was that they had a lot of vegetarian dishes. I'm not sure how a vegetarian thinks of it though, because they had things like vegetarian chicken and vegetarian duck. So, are you trying to introduce the vegetarian into eating meat? Or are you just rubbing it in that they have to eat the fake stuff? Or maybe vegetarian people LIKE to eat the soy products. And if you're just looking for vegetarian meats as a healthy meal substitute, I've had better than Ginger Cafe.
(2)Kitty K.
I got the Basil Chicken, which was ok. The only thing I really like from this dish was the bamboo shoots (I mean, you can hardly mess that up). The flavors were quite mediocre and not very "wowing." What I did actually enjoy from here was the porcupine custard buns. They were the CUTEST food items I have ever seen! The little eyes from black sesame seeds and the custard having the right amount of sweetness. I'd go back for them as dessert (if I was in the area)!
(3)Ping N.
Mediocre food. Nice ambiance. You totally wouldn't expect the decor from looking at the outside and its location in a strip mall. Although I agree with one review that it looks like PF Chang in the inside, at least it's less tacky than PF Chang. But the food was nothing to shout about. It was pretty bland and generally inoffensive but nothing memorable too.
(2)Peter T.
This restaurant is not good. Too much oil is used leaving the food very greasy and heavy. We had a lobster tail dish that was topped of with cheese. Cheese at an Asian restaurant? Chinese or Vietnamese food is never served with any cheese. The tofu dishes were bland with no flavor whatsoever. The only thing that was edible was the dim sum sesame balls and even then you could find better at dozens of other places. For the price we paid for dinner and the quality of food given it was highway robbery. Won't be going back there.
(1)Diana M.
This is one of my favorite places, I really like the Potato Beef and also the Mongolian Beef, There cream cheese crab puff are to die for!!! =)
(5)Ana C.
I work close by so i often find myself having lunch here... The food is great, some of the most popular and my favorite dishes are Mongolian bee, orange chicken, mandarin tofu and the potato beef.. They also have a limited dim sum menu, the pork buns and fried dumplings are very good. Their fried banana with Ice creams is delicious... The decor of this restaurant is gorgeous the prices are moderate but unfortunately their service could be better.
(4)Thao T.
This place had just opened recently and my mom wanted to go, so she and my sister went for lunch over the weekend. I wasn't really sure what panasian food constituted, but the menu was a mix of vietnamese and chinese food. From the outside, the place is not too impressive, but as soon as you step inside, it feels like a place at santana row. The decor was really trendy and the color scheme was a soothing dark red which made the atmosphere more cozy. The chairs were also really comfy! We had some dim sum to share (hargow and shrimp puffs) which were really tasty bc they had whole shrimps inside and it was really good. We ordered two lunch specials cashew chicken and shrimp with veggies that came with rice and tom yum soup (watch out, its spicy!) and a plate of hong kong pan fried noodles. The food was good, and plenty for three people. The service was good too =)
(4)Sagar A.
I went for Lunch with my colleagues, they had special lunch entrees, nothing special about the place. Food was OK, not as good as the reviews say about it :(
(3)Michael A.
Love the Kung Pao chicken. I here the other items on the menu are great, but I've been sticking to what worked the first time. Parking is sometimes tough at lunch, but after 1:00 you can get in and out.
(4)John S.
Today was my second time coming here, so I figured I should get around to writing a review. For starters, Ginger Cafe is appropriately named as it has a nice, cozy cafe feel to it, but also some accents that makes it feel like a trendier restaurant. The seating arrangement is kinda neat as it goes in a circular pattern with a booth in the center. The decor makes me think the decorator made one stop at Crate and Barrel and nabbed a bunch of Asian looking pieces so that it's pretty apparent that, yep, you're in an Asian eatery (if you didn't know from the food choices.) The first trip I made based on a search result for local brunch places. I tried the Hot and Sour soup, dim sum sampler set, and the Mongolian beef. All dishes were very good, but especially the dim sum assortment of various crab and shrimp dumplings, puffs, and wontons. Also served in the sampler were some very fluffy and delicious pork buns. The sampler came out fresh and hot--definitely a must to try. The Mongolian beef was fairly spicy--I think it was rated 2 chili peppers on the menu. Spicy but not too spicy, just enough for you to enjoy the taste. The second trip I just had a lunch of Fried Tofu in Mandarin sauce. Soup of the Day was egg and corn chowder. I started off with a sampler of egg rolls. Both dishes were fresh and understated--which is fine by me. Better fresh and understated than oily and too much sauce. Overall impression is that the food tastes pretty fresh without being too greasy (fried eggrolls will naturally be a little oily--but they managed to still taste crisp and fresh.) The flavors are pretty solid, if not a bit mellow to appeal to a wider audience. Spicy menu items are suitably marked while still providing a satisfying heat. Service both times has been remarkable. Very attentive and quick. Strengths--Service and Dim Sum/lunch menu Weakness--prices are kinda high, but I feel they are okay for the quality of the food. I will definitely be coming back here to sample their other dishes.
(4)Dele P.
Yep, I still love this place. We went there last night and my partner's new favorite dish is the asparagus beef. It is totally delish. She loves the hot-n-sour soup which I think is just okay, but I love their sizzling rice soup which she thinks is just okay. So it's really up to you. The chicken chow mein rocks too. I'm not really a dim sum chick so I haven't done that whole dealio. Anywho, just GO. The staff there, too, is worth going for. Really awesome people.
(5)Janet K.
Tried this place for a friend's birthday and the majority of the food was delicious. Appetizers: calamari and shrimp on fried crackers-sauce was light but very tasty and the calamari was fresh. Soft shell crab spring roll-again very tasty and fresh, they didn't skimp on the crab either. Dim sum-just your average dim sum, nothing too special. Entrees: Filet mignon luc lac-the beef melts in your mouth and the seasonings on it seem so simple but pair very well with the meat. Sea bass-MY FAVORITE, the fish was super fresh and had a buttery texture, soy sauce based sauce that was light but very tasty and clean. Sauteed king crabs-they were just ok, nothing too special. Dessert was good too-fried bananas and pina colada ice cream mmm...
(5)Raj G.
Nice ambience and good food. Must try.
(4)Shannon w.
This is my restaurant of choice when it comes to Asian food!! My favorites are the crispy shrimp puffs and the crab puffs... Sooooo YUMMY!! When they first opened their food wasn't that great but this past year has proved to be better. Their chicken chow mein isn't as greasy as other restaurants and their food over all isn't as over cooked as P.F. chang's tends to be. It's amazing for dine in because most people take their food to go and it's quiet enough to have a conversation without yelling or hearing the clanking of dishes. My family eats here at least three times a month, we take it to go and it's still as phenomenal as it is when eaten in the restaurant.
(5)Max K.
A ho-hum Asian Fusion restaurant with some limited dim sum selections and mediocre chow mein. The highlight of the menu is the custard-filled dumplings that look like hedgehogs; I think it's the only item that the Ginger Cafe does that Loon Wah doesn't do better.
(2)Lisa K.
I got take out here on Monday. Potato Beef is a winner! I will come back here just for that. Also ordered the chili chicken. It was a little too spicy for me. But I'm not a huge chili fan. The dim sum sampler was just okay. I didn't get to eat the bbq pork bun (husband ate both while I wasn't paying attention). But the rest was just average. Inside was much better than expected. It's a little pricey but you get a ton of food. One main dish and rice would have been enough for the two of us and lunch the next day.
(3)Tracey Lee D.
Went here with CNP and more family members before out jaunt to Rooster T Feathers, which is RIGHT down the street. I got their pomegranate mojito, and CNP got the pineapple mojito. Both were yum-yum-yummy. There were 5 of us, and since they all enjoy beef and seafood, they ordered a variety of dishes with those key ingredients, and I got the vegetable fried rice and Chinese Chicken Salad (which I always have to try to see if I can find something better than Tao Tao's, which is the best ever). The fried rice was fine, not the best, but not the worst. The salad was interesting. The chicken was a breast of chicken, cut in strips and laid on the top, as opposed to shredded into the salad. The chicken was amazingly good. I don't know what sort of seasoning they used, but it was delicate and yummy. It totally wasn't what I was expecting the salad to be, but it was good, nonetheless. They have a whole vegetarian section of the menu, which I thought was great. My family enjoyed their food, as well.
(4)Jamie G.
Delicious! The potstickers were amazing (my husband is picky and he loved them too). He got chili chicken and I got orange chicken and when you combine the two it is sooo good. We went on a weeknight and it was quiet and intimate.
(5)Abe L.
Had lunch with with Mom and Sister there for the first time. Do not know why I have not eaten there sooner. The food was incredible! We went there expecting to eat Dim-Sum, but got quite a treat regarding the menu. We just started ordering hoping for the best. We ended up ordering seconds on several of the dishes. The curry wonton was amazing as well as the Mu-Shu roll. What we ate appeared to be hand made, and that was confirmed by the waitress. I'll be taking my lover there soon for a great roll.
(4)Jacques H.
This is our favorite for Chinese food and dim sum. This isn't the typical fare, its a fusion of different flavors. Take a look at the menu online before you go, and try something new, you will not be disappointed. The service is fast and the decor is upscale. My daughter loves the Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf. We have the Cream Cheese Crab Puffs, Basil Chicken, Chinese Sausage Papaya Salad again and again, and the standards like Pot Stickers and Wor Wonton Soup are great too.
(5)Janice C.
The food is exceptional and service is excellent! Try their pork leg dish, it's VERY good. They also have dim sum throughout the day. If you're in the area, definitely should swing by and give it a try!
(5)patti S.
I realy don't want to give a bad review, but DON"T go to this restaurant. The food was just terrible!! I have been to Ginger Cafe before but it was a while back. Given we now have a young baby, my husband and I decided to do take out last weekend. I called in advance and order 5 dishes. blue crab dumpling chicken lettuce wrap garlic noodle garlic shrimp pei pa tofu The total came to $65, which was a bit pricey. They told me it will be about 15 minutes. We live right in Sunnyvale (about 5 minutes away), so my husband headed over after 15 minutes. Unfortunately they told him after arriving that he had to wait for another 25 minutes since one of the dishes takes a long time to make (Pei Pa Tofu),which they did NOT inform me when I called in the order. On top of it, after he left, they called and told him they forgot to add the dumplings, so my husband had to drive back to pick it up. So, this is not the worst part yet. When we tasted the food, it was downride horrible. The only good dish was the chicken lettuce wrap (a little on the oily side, but at least tasty). The blue crab dumpling was mediocre and only 3 pieces. The garlic noodle was just a mess, watery, soggy, and tasteless. There was no taste of garlic, nor any decent flavor you would imagine which garlic noodle should be (my guideline is garlic noodle from Xanh, Tamarind, and Straits). The garlic shrimp wasn't much better. It was just batter fried shrimp tossed in oily sauce. The worse is yet to come. When we open the Pei Pa Tofu, we had NO IDEA what it was suppose to be. It was just a plate full of hard, batter fried masses with no tofu, and little pieces of unrecognizable vegetables. Needless to say, the dish tasted awful. We just felt that it wasn't difficult to make the dish, but the kitchen had absolutely NO idea how to make the dish and that's why it took so long. So, we are definitely not going back again. And I hope this help other Yelpers when making dining choices as well.
(2)Gina H.
Went there for dinner and the interior was nice and modern. They have great service! They were prompt in drinks, food, deserts refill everything. The food was pretty good. I loved that they have this 2 person menu where you can choose ur appetizer, rice, 2 main course and desert for one price from $32-$40. ordered a drink from the bar... ehh its soso... but the price is really good. $4.95-$7.95 for a drink. Im overall happy with my experience and will go again.
(5)Dena D.
The service was great here but unfortunately the food wasn't. We got the lemongrass chicken which tasted like pure ginger (and I like me some ginger usually but not when it tastes like you're eating the actual root). We also got the thai vegetarian duck, which was really really weird tasting, had a note of sourdough taste in it but it was supposed to be imitation duck. Too bad too because we live so close to this place, but we won't be coming back.
(1)Umme Z.
the food was mediocre, the water glass smelt of fish (eew, ). i ordered the mongolian beef it was extra salty and extra chewy, the kung pao chicken was ok. but it is not an experience i would repeat. the ambience was good but the for the food i would never go back.
(2)Christine S.
Ehhh. It is what it is.. 3 stars=an A-Okay... The location was convienient, the portions were fair, the inside of the restaurant was gorgeous. The food was OKAY, the mongolian beef stood out, but it didn't quite hit the spot. It's definitely a nice place to have a drink after work, but i can think of better places to eat.
(3)Lance K.
where are the redheads? I keep driving by this place. finally I stopped. I was in the mood for some dim sum. I waited. looked around. nice tall ceilings. and waited. is that guy supposed to be parked in the handicap spot? waited. whoa that beefy potato dish looks kinda good. still waiting. hey I never saw a chinese dish with potatoes. and finally they brought my order. oh wait they forgot one order. I ate. it was ok...a little on the salty side. waited again. ok I'll take the check. waited. pay the check. I'll take the rest to go.
(3)Kit E.
We were searching for a restaurant to eat at along the way to Babies R Us in Sunnyvale and we saw a big sign for Ginger Cafe. We thought it must be some sort of southeast asia fusion cuisine, so I said let's go there. Well, I got more hesitant as we turned into the parking lot and found that it was in this mall complex with not much else around. We were pleasantly surprised with our meal. Quite a lot of food for the price we paid, but we did stick with what we deemed to be "safe". I ordered the lunch special garlic eggplant and my husband ordered the orange chicken. He said the chicken was pretty moist and I enjoyed the garlicky taste of my eggplant. We noticed that they served dim sum as well, we knew enough to stay away from that!!! Stick to the basics and you'll do fine!
(3)Julie W.
I've driven by this place for years now and was mildly curious, but finally tried it out last night for a mom's night out dinner. I was surprised at how chic the interior was (belying the strip mall exterior), the food was delicious, and the service was generally good. I also liked that it was quiet, and plan on returning.
(4)Hoa Q.
The artistic asian decor and well presented expensive food makes this place perfect for a date--and you can to hear yourself think. You have to go in expecting to eat Cheesecake Factory kind of food. You'll be sorely disappointed if you're expecting hole-in-the-wall authentic food. We ordered Fongsa Soft-Shell Crab, Tamarind Jumbo Prawn, Lamb with Cumin, Eggplant Tofu, Chowmein, and Egg Roll. The dishes were very exotic and a bit spicy except for the Egg Roll and the Chowmein, which was a bit salty. The portions were decent, too. My favorite was the Fongsa Soft-Shell Crab. They have a kid's menu that doesn't involve chicken fingers or mac & cheese. Despite the number of dishes we ordered, all came out in a timely manner. Don't forget to order steamed rice!
(5)Runip G.
Its very rare for a reasonably priced lunch place to have such a nice decor , service and impressive food. A friend and I went there and both of us loved the food. He tried the good old "Eggplant in garlic sauce" and even that was one of the best he ever ate. I tried something new -- "3 flavor Vegetarian Chicken" and it was done very very well. They had a very creative appetizer, a steamed vegetarian roll which was the best I ever tried. Definitely 5 stars in terms of value!
(5)M C.
Great food! Me and my husband come here very often like 7-8 times a year. We tried all menus and we love each one of them. Never disappointed. Hoping the owmer enroll in the 'American Advantage Program' so I can benefit from dining as I will earn miles and acrrue cashback.
(5)BH R.
Came here based on other wonderful Yelp reviews. The decor is nice, but the food is well, marginal. The portions were tiny, taste generic, texture oily and overall service sub-par. For example, the pad thai on the menu came with egg, shrimp etc. And being vegetarian we requested that they withhold the eggs, shrimp, chicken and the waitress said that would be couple of dollars extra (!! for withholding, not adding). I said ok. Then we ordered the minced vegetables in lettuce cups (entree), we got exactly 4 pieces of ice-berg lettuce. So I requested for couple more leaves :) The waitress once again said, umm, that would be couple dollars more. (Again, I said ok, sure) I am not sure what was the point of nickle-and-diming especially when pad-thai costs $11. In any case, even after we made the request to withhold the eggs, they added eggs to our dish. In short, save your money drive just a couple of miles north to el camino and shoreline -- go to Garden Fresh. You will get the same/similar dishes for 60% cost and 5% of the attitude.
(1)Mikey L.
Food is was pretty decent and pricing was fair. I had the beef cubes and wasn't too impressed. What was cool is that they also serve dim sum from a menu, so I ordered some things from there. The interior is really nice and staff is extremely friendly. Plus there were come cute waitresses too. =)
(4)Karen O.
First time visit for lunch today... the interior reminds me of a minature version of PF Changs with tall ceilings and modern decor. They have a large lunch special menu, along with a separate one for Dim Sum, appetizers and other a combo of Malaysian, Vietnamese and Chinese.. I tried one of the lunch specials...Malaysian Mango Chicken. I tell you this was so good but not a low calorie dish. It did have very lean white meat slices but the sauce which was so yummy had a coconut flavor with fresh basil and a little kick to it..and big chunks of mango! I could only eat half as the portion size was huge, not to mention the richness.. It came with hot and sour soup..one of the best I've had in a while. I liked the broth because it wasn't all thick and gummy.. It was clearer with lot of fresh veggies and it was very spicy...sure opens up your sinus'! So all that and a thai ice tea and my check was 10.95. I can't wait to go back and try out their other dishes...oh, and they have a full bar there too..
(4)Channon W.
Gorgeous place - I love how hip the inside is decorated. I specifically came here for dim sum. Each dish is approx $3 - $4...a little bit oily but still very good. The service is fast and friendly AND IT'S CLEAN!! (which is rare for asian restuarants). I love finding new spots!
(4)alexia c.
Went here for the lunch special after reading some of the reviews. The atmosphere was nice. Other than that ehh not so great. The asparagus beef was pretty good but nothing that unusual. The mango chicken was pretty much nasty. Slimy chicken overpowered by coconut. The service was not very attentive even though the place was not busy at all. Very slow...Would not go back...
(2)Ram S.
We went here on an impulse as we were out of new places to eat. The red light at the intersection of Mathilda and Elcamino took long enough for us to notice this place. A quick check on yelp using my mobile phone and off we were having lunch here. The ambiance is great and so is the food. We were vegetarian for the day and so ended up eating the rolls and tofu. It was great and filling. The food is flavourful and in good quantity. Definitely be back here.
(4)Jessica F.
The service could have been better. We had to wait a while before our server even came. All the Dim Sum and soup is really good and would really recommend them. I wasn't a huge fan of the other food I've tried.
(4)yael w.
Following a friend's recommendation, I set down for lunch with an Irish friend. The design is nice, mixing long burgundy curtains used to create an illusion of smaller spaced, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the staff was polite, accommodating, and without the nasal voice so many waitresses think should come with the territory. Our waiter was great; felt free to use his sense of humor (was rewarded too), and his only mistake was to encourage us to order rice, which given that our main courses included potato and noodles, was unnecessary. Also, encouraging the over-weight me to have desert is not very nice. That's as far as the bad things go. The rest was great. We sampled two kinds of dim sum, one with leeks stuffing, the other with shrimps and mint --- both were fresh, tasty and just right. Thai style rolls were served with lettuce, mint leaves and dipping vinegar sauce. Again, fresh, not overly fried or fat. For entrees we had the tuna sashimi cold salad and east meets west dish. The tuna was FRESH, the sprouts, noodles and all the other wonders done just right and the dressing light, yet perfectly able to pull together all the ingredients and create a great (large) dish. While I was having a celebration of tastes in my mouth, across from me set East Meets West. To be honest, if was more like Meat meets Potatoes, under the cover of some Asian herbs. The beef was fresh, the potatoes had never seen a freezer from the inside; they were hand cut and fried. However... please don't get me wrong, I have more than enough friends who'll keep coming back for this dish alone. However, we-two were not extremely happy with the oil that sneaked in. I mean a little too much of it. How can I complete this without mentioning the Tea?! Tea leafs, put in one of those metal-net balls, and dumped into a tea pot, then served with a cup. Request for a refill of the water was well received, and the tea was good. I took the Jasmine, the Irish took the green. No lapricorns sighting were reported. In one word: GO. In two words: Go back!
(5)will c.
Standard Americanized Chinese food. Feels like a PF Chang's, except with yuppier decor. Ordered the mango chicken, which really should be termed mango curry because it was much creamier than I expected. The chicken was tender, the mango was caramelized sweet, and went well with the rice. Ingredients were fresh, but it just didn't taste like something your mom/grandma/auntie would cook...which is my internal standard of 5stars.
(3)Gilbert C.
I went here back when it just opened but havent gone back since cus its far from where I live. I thought the interior was nice, not tacky. And they had some nice looking waitresses back then...not sure about now. Pretty good for dates or small groups. You can order items separately but they have a 2 person dinner special (one costing $32 and the other $38)...I dont know why one was pricier than the other as both of them seemed to have the same amount of food offered...just diff foods available. Go figure. Anyway, you pick 1 of 3 items for the appetizer, 1 of 3 items for entree #1 (all diff items from appetizer menu), 1 of 3 items for entree #2 (all diff items from entree #1 menu), either fried rice bowl or steamed rice bowl (small), and 1 of 3 desserts. Drinks arent part of the meal special and are ordered separately. This one appetizer just KICKED ASS! It was some kind of chicken cabbage cup or something....it was chicken cooked with nuts and other stuff and u scoop it up and put it inside pieces of fresh cabbage and you eat it like a roll....SO GOOD! I think chicks on a date would really dig that item. Then most of the entrees scored big on my list...except for the lemongrass chicken as it was a bit too peppery and salty for me. Potatoes and beef, 2 kinds of giant prawn dishes, sea bass and the peking duck with sauce and that wrapping doughy paper were all good ones. I only tasted the fried banana (tho rolled as if it were an egg roll!!!) and ice cream, the other 2 desserts seemed appetizing as well. The food isn't miniature sized like most other high class pompous asian fusion places...I actually had my fill. Not sure if they still have these same exact offerings but thats what I saw back then.
(4)Steve H.
We ate dinner there three days ago, and the service was excellent. We had the steamed veggie dumplings, tofu with eggplant, orange beef, plus fried rice and steamed rice. The dishes arrived really fast and the portions were good-sized. We loved the food! The ambience is really nice, and it's got way better acoustics than PF Chang's (you can actually hear each other well and don't have to shout). We'll be back often.
(4)R J.
This restaurant just opened in Sunnyvale recently. (The original restaurant is apparently in Gilroy.) While it was under construction, I expected it to be some sort of snack or tea-oriented place, but it turns out to be a more ambitious venture. There is a full menu, bar, wait service, and the decor and prices are not what I would classify as discount. The menus are online. I classified its cuisine as "Asian Fusion," but it's not really Fusion in the sense of mixing Asian and non-Asian styles. Rather, the menu is a hodgepodge of dishes from various Asian cuisines, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Thai. I arrived at about 3:00 p.m. for a late lunch. There were no hours posted, but the Gilroy location is open all day, so maybe this one will be also. The lunch menu has some dim sum items, appetizers, and typical Chinese-restaurant style specials that come with rice and soup. I ordered the "Vietnamese Shrimp Fresh Roll" as an appetizer and the "Vietnamese Lemon Grass Chicken" from the dinner menu. The shrimp rolls were fresh enough, but didn't contain enough shrimp to impart any flavor. I wouldn't bother ordering them again. The large-portion chicken dish had a decent flavor, but was clearly heavily fried and swimming in oil. I've had less greasy versions of this dish with as good or better flavor. I also wouldn't order it again. I had also ordered a Thai iced tea, which was fine, nothing out of the ordinary.
(3)Theresa S.
We had dinner here last night and were initially the only ones there so service was great. We ordered the dinner special and thought all the dishes were delicious... lettuce cup, tamarind prawns, string beans with chix and, of course, the fried banana dessert! Because of the food and atmosphere, this place reminds me of a suburban Straits Cafe which is perfect for us since we have a kid now but can still enjoy good food and drinks.
(4)elsa n.
The food was really bad. It had an excesive amount of garlic. We could not eat it. And there was no point of bringing that home. The car was going to get stinky and the house as well. Even the calamary had garlic in it. Really bad. If the food had been good i would not mind the prices. But it was a total rip off since we could not eat anything.
(1)Jeff C.
Excellent Asian fusion in a fairly hip setting. More palatable than Sino and less experimental than Straits, the cooking at Ginger Cafe is fresh, different enough to be interesting, and done with great taste and style. Chinese with South and Southeast Asian influences including a clever cumin lamb dish, curry-tinged dishes, and slightly off-center renditions of Chinese dishes that are tastefully westernized without being pandering or overly cute. It's a difficult line to walk successfully, and it's carried off with great skill and to unique effect at Ginger Cafe. Some of the excellent dishes include the Tamarind Prawns, Cumin Lamb, any of the beef dishes, Thai Curry Vegetarian Duck. Haven't tried the fried rice but other tables had it and it looked delicious. Some of the dishes are stronger than others. Dim Sum is reportedly mediocre. The dishes that are good are outstandingly good; great even! The main chefs are "Mandarin" and "Cantonese," and they definitely know their way around international cooking and Asian flavors. Quality of ingredients is consistently very good. Ginger Cafe is a rare and unexpected gem. Highly recommended.
(4)Jeeta G.
My husband and I finally ventured into Ginger Cafe last night. We saw the signs before the restaurant was complete but never really knew what type of place this was... It's beautifully decorated indoors, the staff is super-friendly and were really nice to my 18 month old. We had the kung pao veggi chicken and fried rice... both were quiet yummy. The fried rice had more vegetables than most traditional fried rices. They were also great about spiciness levels. We will definitely be going back with our friends!
(4)Arnold B.
I always drive by this place not knowing this place existed. We ordered their mangolian beef, chili chicken, and pad thai. Every single one of this dish we ordered was fresh and super delicious. I highly recommend this place, especially if you have never eaten here before. Your missing out on something. The price of their food is very reasonable, and place has an elegant feel to it. The service is commendable.
(4)C W.
Nice atmosphere, but greasy, salty and a bit more than I would like to have paid for the quality of the food.
(2)Fiel R.
mmmmmmm potato beef... highly recommend!
(5)Jennifer L.
the decor is extremely trendy and the ambiance is very intimate. It is a little like PF changs but i would say the dim sum is very good. The porcupine custard bun and the shrimp dumplings are to die for=]. i also really enjoyed the eggplant dish for lunch, it was very tasty. Although some might think they may be salty or over seasoned, i like my food with flavor so its perfect my my taste buds=]
(5)Julie N.
I've been here a few times. I like their decor. It created a comfortable atmosphere to dine in for anytime of the day. As for the food, there are a variety of different types of asian foods.. from vietnamese to chinese to thai. The dim sum is tasty, but the portions were smaller than other places. It was a bit pricey for whats it worth, so everything counts. I know i can get the same food else where better and cheaper.
(2)mariellen g.
Forget this place! Used to like it but took a group and they gave us the worst service ever. Waitress took one drink order and walked off, we had to flag her down. Ordered dinner including a child's plate (which is just dim sum) the child's plate came AFTER the dinner order was finished. The waitress didn't apologize and still charged us then had the bartender bring out the bill. Forget it I can't believe I left her a nice tip. There are way too many good restaurants that want your business to be bothered here.
(1)Anonymous V.
krung thai is more like it.
(2)Mai B.
My family went here for dinner. OMG.... were we in for a surprise. We ordered their sticky rice dimsum (available all day), mongolian beef, combination fried rice, and a beef chowfun. After 20 min wait, they finally brought out the 2 sticky rice buns wrapped in banana leaf. With great disappointment, the sticky rice was still half frozen, and the worst part was, the sticky rice was actually something that you could buy at a asian supermarket. They were not freshly made sticky rice like you would nornally can get at a "real" dimsum chinese restaurant. Then the remaining of the dishes came out shortly after. So, we were disappointed with the sticky rice, but hopeful for the remaining dishes. And boy... were we wrong... their fried rice was so mushy, their mongolian beef was too sweet. The only decent dish was the beef chowfun. We couldn't eat our food, and politely left every dish almost full. Our waitress didn't bother to ask us if there was something wrong with the food. We assumed that she knew that she was working for a bad chinese restaurant or she frankly didn't care. We paid and silently said... good luck with your business if you continue to serve your customers with this kind of food. DO NOT EAT HERE.
(1)Don F.
This was a visit to try the place again after extremely poor sevice a couple of months ago. Thought we'd try the place again. This USED to be a place with good food and good service a couple of years ago. This time, we (sister and I) ordered one of the dinners-for-two. The food was very good, including the shrimp puffs. After the food was served, we never saw the waitress again. Water ran out, and nobody stopped to refill. everybody just walked by like we didn't exist - when it came time for boxes-to-go, one of the other waitresses gave us a box, and brought plates for the dessert included with the dinner price. We waited 20 minutes, and no dessert. We finally got up and went to the front to pay and explain that we got no dessert after 20 minutes. They said 'oh, sorry', and took our money. They didn't offer to serve us the dessert. They didn't offer to box the dessert - they just didn't give it to us. Period. No discount for not serving the whole dinner (dessert missing). In fact, they didn't even want to give us our change. BOTTOM LINE: Go here if you want good food and really poor service. You might get your complete order - then again, you might not....
(1)mel g.
if you're craving decent dim sum after 2pm then this is a good solution. not the greatest, but certainly not the worst. their pan-fried leek dumplings are amazing. as are their sesame balls. the rest of the chinese dim sum is ok, although i thought the veggie was pretty bad. service is prompt and friendly. tables are clean. all-in-all, good solution to your late afternoon/evening dim sum cravings!
(3)Avni S.
Ginger Cafe is one of my favorite Chinese Restaurants in Sunnyvale. My work has catered from them on numerous occasions and all their items taste fresh and authentic. Being vegetarian, I love their pineapple fried rice, tofu and eggplant that's sauteed in a garlic sauce, and Singaporean noodles. My only criticism is that their tofu is a bit chewy and has not fully absorbed the flavor of the sauce. However, the food is still delicious. I'd definitely come back here again to try more of their offerings.
(4)Erin Y.
I normally have a particular distaste for Asian fusion (like many Asians), so when one gets my attention, you can be sure they're doing something right. Apart from the cute hostess, walking in, you'll immediately notice the cool layout. It's circular, and I like to sit at the booths around the inner circle by myself and daydream. Jk kinda. I come to this place fairly often with family. In a family of picky female eaters, we all agree the FRIED TILAPIA (w/soy sauce and peppers) is bomb. Perfect amount of crispy, fish quality itself isn't extraordinary, but sauce definitely makes up for it. Slightly sweet and suited to the Asian tongue. The LAMB W/CUMIN is my personal favorite as I've developed a strange obsession with cumin. I guess there are worse things to be obsessed with. The lamb quality itself has kind of progressively gotten worse during consecutive visits (don't expect anything particularly juicy or tender), but my oh my how that cumin seasoning complements the lamb perfectly. I don't believe I can make it myself, so I come here. Now the star appetizer: SEA BASS DUMPLINGS. Got the dim sum sampler once and these stood out. Soft, sticky starch wrapper surrounding wonderfully seasoned sea bass. I can't really tell that it's fish, but I don't care what they stick in there as long as it keeps on tasting this good. Paid a cool ~$44 for this recent meal of 3 dishes (that I mostly ate by myself). Don't let my figure fool ya-I'm secretly (or not so secretly) a pig. Kinda overpriced for the quantity...I gobbled up those 3 dumplings in 30 sec tops. But worth it once in a while!
(4)Dean C.
7/24/15: Came here for lunch. One of the better American interpretations of Chinese food. Certainly better than Pf Chang or Panda Inn. Yet, still is a mixed bag. First off I will state it took forever to get our food. This place is in the central area for the businesses so I would assume the vast majority of their lunchtime clientele are there on lunch break. So the 30min or so it took to get the food is really not acceptable. 1. Sea Bass Dumplings $6: They look totally beautiful. The filling is actually tasty. Unfortunately the shell is hard and not soft and chewy like it should be. This made it brittle and easy to break and just plain tastes bad. Also they are totally glues down and picking them up without ripping them is totally impossible. Thus all the filling falls out and you're left with eating the messy resulting broken shell and meat separately. 3/10 2. Braised Pork Belly with Turnip Leaves $15: Not bad. Was impressed actually given the American nature. Presented well with the sliced pork cleanly laid out. Texture was great with the fat nice and succulent. Unfortunately the flavor isn't really distinctive but still was fine. The vegetables were perfect though. Nice and crispy and green. Overall pretty good. 7/10 3. Egg Fried Rice (Small) $2.50: Standard fried rice. But amazingly the texture is very good. Very al dente rice. Almost like brown rice. Heck this is better than most real Chinese places! 8/10 So my main dish was good and the appetizer wasn't. Why just 3 stars? Well I can tell my friend's order wasn't good. Chicken with noodles. I can see the chicken was totally dry. It just seems this place would be hit and miss. Also again, the wait is not good for a business lunch. 3/5 #chinese
(3)Chefs Daughter D.
It actually wasn't toooo bad, but expecting more fusion. It was more Chinese/Vietnamese with a hint of maybe Thai/Malaysian. We ordered xo fried rice, dim sum app platter (my fav) but the other noodle and chicken curry was just ok. It needed more something-something. The desserts were a bit better. We ordered fried bananas but it's more Americanized than a fried bananas at a Thai restaurant. It's basically an American round banana in a Filipino lumpia wrapper but presentation was nice in look. Wouldn't rule them out but expected more. Our server, however, was very helpful, nice and very informative as it was our first time. (Sorry, we forgot his name) Dim sum platter 4 Entries 2-3 Dessert 4
(3)Steven M.
I have the Soft Shell Crab Fun Pei Salad for take out. The dish has as lot of food for one person. There are three main section. The bottom is a bed of wide flat rice noodles. The middle is a bed of lettuce. Last but not least, the top is the fried soft shell crab. The soft shell crab is over breaded, so the style is very different from tempura. In fact, its sort of like fish and chips styles. The lettuce and rice noodle is good. The included a spicy fish sauce with garlic as dressing. It is good, probably on the too spicy side. I look forward to try some other dishes from this restaurant next time.
(3)Jan S.
We order take out from Ginger Cafe at least once a month. Their selection is great, there is something from everybody.
(5)Ben H L.
My ex-roommate used to come here to Ginger Cafe and since I was at a loss of where to go for dinner on a recent Sunday night, I decided to come here with my friend to this place. There were open on Easter Sunday so I was very happy to know that Chinese restaurants still open 365 days a year. We ordered lettuce cups, catfish, veggie shanghai noodles, and for the most part, all of it was very good. The lettuce cups themselves were large cups of lettuce, about the size of a softball. The catfish looks small compared to the picture in the menu but it was actually a decent portion. The veggie noodles tasted relatively clean and didn't give me a greasy feeling either. I liked Ginger Cafe for not serving typical greasy Chinese food and having a non-traditional menu full of other cuisines. The interior decor is way nicer than an average Chinese restaurant and since they also serve mixed drinks, that already makes this place many steps up from the average Chinese restaurant experience. Most likely will come back here again.
(4)Golda R.
I'm not a big fan of Chinese food, but I am a fan of Asian fusion. This place is great because it's just that. My husband and I tried their dim sum sampler, and my favorites ended up being the bok choy shrimp dumpling and the cream cheese crab puffs. I would definitely come back here again to try more stuff, and because the ambiance is nice for a sit down meal. Don't be fooled by their name. We thought it was going to be cafe style, but it's really a sit down restaurant.
(4)Stephanie M.
This place is a place I don't mind eating at but don't typically go out of my way to eat at. This review is based on my recent lunch experience. The server seemed to rush us a bit with our order, and not particularly welcoming with his tone. The place itself was half full but maybe efficiency is his goal. I ordered the Orange chicken lunch special with egg fried rice, which came with the soup of the day. The soup was decent, my brother said it was bland but I felt it had a good amount of flavor with green onion and meat. It was nice and light. We also ordered the soft shell crab spring rolls, which seem like a big amount but is great to share. These are light as well since they're packed with greens, and come with the peanut dipping sauce. Then came the lunch special portion- This is the biggest note I have. The ratio of rice to entrée is 1:2. The size of the Orange chicken pieces themselves were also quite large. This isn't to say that they're not suitable for chopsticks, but they're definitely fitting for fork users since fitting one whole piece is usually two bites. In this sense, the portions are "Americanized" and generous. For the price ($9) it's incredible. Quality is decent.
(3)Frank Y.
Went there tonight for dinner with a group of friends. We ordered lots of stuff, the dishes are delicious, amount is good too. However I feel that the waiters can be better. We ordered a seabass and they didn't get the order, we also need to ask them couple times for water.
(4)Martha R.
My GF and I stopped by on Saturday we really enjoyed the food we tried food we had not tried before and everything we tried was really good specially the Mojito my GF loved it. The service was awesome the waiter explained the food really well. We will definately come back soon.
(5)Stella M.
Gah! Finally getting around to writing/posting all these Yelp reviews I meant to post 8 months ago! This review is for Ginger Cafe as a wedding caterer (August 2014). From the very beginning, Bo and Tuyen were very responsive in answering all of our questions and addressing our concerns in a timely manner to make sure our wedding was a great experience. From the dinner menu tasting, drinks tasting, walkthrough, final payment meeting, and the day of the wedding, working with Ginger Cafe was a breeze. Attention Chinese brides: you are now able to serve the food of your people at your wedding and not have to do it at some tacky restaurant! I'd consider their food to be Chinese/Vietnamese with a modern/fusion twist. My family enjoyed the food, which was important to me. Ginger Cafe is one of the very few Chinese caterers in the Bay Area that will do on-site catering at the venue of your choice. Their pricing is very straightforward and transparent. Drinks and appetizers were all you can drink and eat (pricing is per guest). You can also modify your menu to your liking. I had a few guests with shellfish allergies and they were able to help us accommodate them. I wanted to serve Dark N Stormies as one of our signature cocktails, but they didn't have ginger beer so Bo and his team created their own ginger ale concoction for us during the drinks tasting! They ended up buying ginger beer for the wedding, but it was still amazing nonetheless. During the reception venue walkthrough, I had a mini panic attack when a staff person at the venue told us that we couldn't deep fry (which meant we couldn't serve over half of our menu - including the lobster! Noo!!). Not really sure what happened next, but Bo worked his magic with the manager the next day and it was all good! All of our guests raved about the food and said that they had never had wedding food this good before. Everyone was so stuffed because it was a 10 course meal. They were also thrilled to be able to take leftovers home - takeout boxes were provided for guests. At the end of the night, Ginger Cafe provided us with a case of bottled water for our guests to take with them on the road. In sum, I HIGHLY recommend them as a wedding caterer. Wonderful experience!
(5)May D.
This place is okay, food is pretty good and prices are reasonable. Service though sometimes can be slow which is not okay when I'm super hungry! lol Anyway, I have been going here for 5yrs with family and friend. I like this place better than pf changs, it feels more family oriented. Cheers!
(4)Laura P.
Much love to Ginger Cafe! The dim sum appetizer started us off, and everything on it was so good, it almost turned into a monkey-knife fight for the siu mai. The honeyed quail was fantastic, as was the salt and pepper calamari. The eggplant tofu was taken to go because by the time we were done with all of that, we were both stuffed. The restaurant was comfortable, clean, and nicely decorated. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive, and the tea was plentiful and hot. I cannot wait to come back and try a few more things.
(5)Lloyd J.
Great food, Good ambiance, and good service. We had the pineapple rice, Mongolian beef and fried tilapia... All good food. Try their cream cheese crab wonton. Good restaurant in Sunnyvale.
(4)Katy M.
Great wait staff. I ordered the Saigon street style chow fun and it was one of the best chow guns I've ever had! The ingredients were fresh and loved the sauce on top. It's a couple dollars more than other places but well worth it.
(5)Maximillian S.
Pretty good for asian fusion. Can get a little pricey but if you share dishes everyone will get enough to eat. The chili chicken was definitely the best dish we got, very tasty and tangy sauce and crispy chicken in a generous amount. Service is really friendly, I just wish they didn't charge for tea and steamed rice.
(4)Alexey R.
Headed here for lunch. The best chicken curry in the Bay Area ! Give it a shot and see yourself. The service was quick. Will come again!
(5)Ron F.
Very courteous in filling a last minute to go order I'll be back again when we can stay and enjoy the ambiance as well, Great variety in their menu
(5)Nidhi D.
I had thought about going to this place for 5 yrs and finally the time came last week. I went on lunch. Ambience is good however I was disappointed by the food. I have chicken and bean with fried rice lunch combo. Rice was not at all fresh..and chicken was very cooked and dry...would not recommend it.
(2)Stephen H.
I brought a group from Mainland China here on a recommendation from a local. I really wanted to give it 3.5 stars, but we'll round up to four. Why? Well, everybody enjoyed their food, although that may have been as much from the fact they were missing the real stuff from China at this point of the trip. We walked in at lunchtime, and they were nice enough to put tables together out on the patio to immediately accommodate our group. Again, pretty good food. NIce to have both rice and noodle dishes. Pretty good service. If you are in this area, I would recommend.
(4)Xu J.
My family and I enjoy Ginger Cafe very much. The food is great everything is super clean. The food always is fresh and the service is excellent.
(5)Danni D.
I've been here quite a few times and each time I've not been disappointed. The mandarin tofu is my favorite, and it's a must have every time. I love the string bean chicken- it's a little spicy so if you don't like spicy then watch out! It's a typical dish but the pork fried rice here is the best I've ever had. I try to only review places that I'm in love with and this is definitely one. Keep up the good work guys!
(5)Johnny T.
This was the third time that we came here and they have very good service. This isnt a typical chinese restaurant but it is close enough. I like the set up and it is a great place if you want to meet a group of friends for lunch
(4)Lior B.
Great food, really nice and quiet atmosphere, pretty interior and clean. And the prices are very reasonable. Definitely coming back often.
(5)Jane A.
STEPPING UP THE DIM-SUM GAME (4 stars) Paying for quality. - FOOD, good - PRICES, little more expensive - SERVICE, good - AMBIANCE, nice The outside does not portray the inside. Nice space. Great service. Paying for quality. They've come up with unique Dimsum dishes. We came specifically to try the Porcupine Custard Buns. HEFER STATUS BLUE CRAB DUMPLINGS ($5) - blue crab has a very strong crab taste. Much more mild then crab I'm use to. No need for dipping sauce, the taste is already enough as it is. BAK CHOY AND SHRIMP DUMPLINGS ($4.5) - tiny pieces of bak choy and shrimp meat. Wrapped in clear rice paper. Really enjoyed this one. PORCUPINE CUSTARD BUNS ($5) - OH MY. You, must, order. It's tinier then the picture portrays. But it's so delicious even if it's too cute to eat. Inside is a perfect softness with a small sweet spot of custard. Outer later is a nice soft thin crunch. Love it!!!!! Will I be back? Yes! JABA APPROVED. Until the next review...
(4)Arnaud H.
The food was good but the waiting was very long. They were out of lamb :-( Mongolian beef was very tender. Their mandarin sauce was delicious with the rice. The hong kong pan fried noodle are good too.
(3)Oriel B.
Great location, great service and awesome food! Ordered the orange chicken and Mongolian beef ! Awesome dishes !!
(5)Eric C.
Food is OK but expensive for what's offered... XO rice has very very little XO. We asked for no Calamari but fried rice came with it... Chow Fun was very greasy and should have been cool with higher heat. Porcupine bun was okay. Fried but not just made..
(2)Abigail G.
We read the reviews carefully and looked forward to a meal here at Ginger Cafe, particularly some dim sum. The crab dim sum had no crab in them, rather were stuffed with fake crab (colored Pollock fish) which is easy to indetify by fishy taste and look! Need I say more? Ok I will if you need more!. We are used to real Chinese food in Monterrey Park, LA, SF, etc. We were a little cautious and so ordered the dim sum sampler and drinks to try it out before committing to a full meal. The platter arrived with 2 each of four dim sum. They really were a disappointment. The steamed wrappers were too chewy, sort of tough, perhaps too old. The crab dim sum...... see above. One of the pair of dim sum was swimming with melted creamed cheese inside. We left quickly not wanting anymore "surprises"!!
(1)Carmen C.
We worked with Bo and Tuyen to get Asian banquet family style food for our wedding, and it's been the best experience ever, hands down our best wedding vendor experience. They were so flexible and very knowledgeable about event timing and also how each course's flavors played off of each other. They really made it easy, put us at ease, and all our guests raved about the food at our wedding! Highly recommend them for any event!!!
(5)Gautam C.
Nice ambience and Good food. Try their veggie dumplings and street noodles. But costly compared to similar places around.
(4)linda y.
Our first time here. I chose this place to take my bf to celebrate his 33rd bday with our baby girl. We were also celebrating our 9 yrs Ann yesterday also. We were immediately greeted & had to wait a few minutes since they had to set up our table with a highchair. They gave baby girl crayons & a coloring place mat. Our waiter was nice & our baby girl waved hi & talked to him a little. He asked her age & was friendly back to her. I ordered the shanghai vegetarian noodles which I modified to order without onions, scallion, bean sprouts & mushrooms so it had noodles, tofu & eggs for me & baby girl to eat & we enjoyed it. My bf ordered lemon chicken with a bowl of rice which was good, but the portion was small esp when they put them in huge plates. My noodles was a big portion size. I asked our waiter since its my bf's bday do they give a slice of cake & he gave him a slice of coconut Casanova cake which with a candle & written in chocolate syrup happy birthday it actually was pretty good. Normally I don't like coconut stuff much but it was good. My first time trying a Casanova cake. The decor was nice & the food was great & service was good...definitely would come back & try other stuff on the menu.
(5)Shannon M.
The crispy Tofu was delicious, and the service was prompt and friendly. The ambiance is pleasant, and the background music isn't so loud that you can't have a conversation.
(4)Bryan S.
Great food, great selection, fast service. Went here for dinner twice now and have had a perfect meal every time. Food is fantastic, great selection, everything tastes great. Will be back again!
(5)Alice H.
Tips: $5 for lotus wrapped sticky rice $5 for Porcupine Custard Buns $11 three delights soup with sizzling rice - shrimp, calamari/squid Fried banana dessert has pineapple flavored ice cream. --------------------------------------------------Â---------------- The porcupine custard buns are seriously the cutest thing. The presentation is very impressive. The buns are not bad as well, they are definitely DEEP FRIED. You get 2 sticky rices for $5 and they are of medium size. They are pretty good and reminiscent of a traditional dim sum restaurant. The decor is very nice and modern, it is a very nice place to take your family to. The wait staff are very polite and patient as well. The pricing is a bit on the more expensive side, but I guess that is the theme of the restaurant to be a little more upscale. 3 stars for the food 4 stars for the atmosphere and wait staff
(4)Robert C.
The Ginger cafe is a family owned restaurant with locations in Morgan Hill and Sunnyvale. I once placed a large food phone order by mistake from the Morgan Hill site instead of the Sunnyvale site, some 30 miles apart. . The Sunnyvale store is located in a small strip mall hidden from one of the busiest intersections in Sunnyvale -El Camino Real and Mathilda -where two 8 lane roads meet. Unfortunately you cannot see Ginger Cafe from the intersection, and is hard to find unless you are looking for it. Across Mathilda is PF Changs restaurant right on the corner of the intersection, anchoring a large shopping center. Down the street is Sunnyvale Tennis Center within 100 yards. We walked in without a reservation on a Saturday evening at 645pm. Majestic cathedral ceilings 18 feet high, with lighted decor. Mahogony colored wooden tables, scarred through 10 years of use, with comfortable matching colored wooden chairs with padded backs and bottoms. Paper napkins instead of cloth napkins, and only one fork instead of two. No cloth table cloths, but paper place settings. Small bar with 4 chairs in front of a single TV monitor at the entrance. About 20 tables of 4 arranged in a semi circle around an Oriental center piece. The place is packed, and we wait 15 minutes to get seated, another 15 minutes for the order to be placed, and at least 15 minutes for the food to arrive in piecemeal, with the meat dish arriving at least 5 minutes before the rice, and then the cold appetizer plate. The waitress dressed in all black from head to toe, a la Matrix style, is apologetic about the lengthy delay in getting our food. This is not good, as the meat gets cold while waiting for the rice. Our Chinese chicken salad $9 comes with salad, carrot strips for color, and heated sliced strips of chicken breast, arranged in a colorful presentation. I would have preferred more dressing, as it is barely noticeable. The portion is very generous and could have served 4. We ask for and receive separate plates and forks for the salad. The kung pao chicken $12 comes with carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery, peanuts, chili peppers, along with hunks of chicken . The dish is delicious, but the hunks of chicken are too large for eating without a knife, and should have been cut into smaller bite size pieces. Again a very large serving, feeding 4. It goes well with the family size white rice $3.50, which arrives without a top to the rice pot. . Finally we get the garlic prawns $16 cooked with hot green jalapenos,onions and scallions in a small pot dish. The small bowl contains maybe a dozen prawns, and is to die for. My late 91 year old mother loved this dish. This dish is spicy hot, and causes my forehead to break out in a deep sweat. I quickly drink up both mine and my wife' s glasses of water, before the waiter brings more water. We bring along a coupon and with our $40 purchase get a free dessert, fried bananas coconut ice cream $7. This consists of five large scoops of coconut ice cream and four egg rolls filled with hot bananas. Another deliciously, decadent dessert. Our bill before tax and tip comes to $40.50, with lots of leftovers. For the month of February, purchases of $40 or more will get a $10 gift certificate good through August. We will be back, but next time with a reservation.
(4)Jordan L.
Kind of surprised by the restaurant when I walked in... It's definitely Asian (Chinese) food but the decor looks like a nice American restaurant. Ginger Cafe is kind of like what PF Chang's should be if it didn't suck. Asian food and Asian inspired food in an American dining setting. I had the potato beef and it was alright. Never add the dollar for the lunch special salad because it's shitty cafeteria side salad. Otherwise this place was fine.
(3)Kim A.
My boyfriend and I are regulars for their takeout. We've been on a shrimp kick lately, and their shrimp options are all outstanding. The Salt and Pepper Prawns are our go to-- the perfect blend of flavors and crispy, tender shrimp! We've only eaten at the restaurant once, but the service they provided was great to the only people sitting at the bar that night! (I just got off a two-hour public transportation commute and was in desperate need of water, they kept refilling my glass!)
(4)Nirupa A.
Love their food. The staff are very courteous and help us in picking out the right dishes based on our interests.
(4)Oanh N.
Ginger Cafe catered our wedding reception and what an amazing job they did! Our guests kept talking about how good the food was, even went on to list their particular favorite dishes (and pretty much every dish made it to the collective favorite list). All the kids (and adults) absolutely loved the pig custard buns. We got so many photos of them :) Tuyen and Bo were fantastic to work with. They were easy going and very willing to customize the menu to fit our tastes. And their prices are very reasonable. After the wedding, we also turned to them when we needed to cater a non-profit's holiday party fundraising dinner. Our guests at that party also loved the food. And we were so glad for the generous discount they provided to our non-profit. Love that they have big hearts as well!
(5)Pras B.
Good ambiance. Got a nice table to seat. Price is high for Chinese restaurant. Taste was not that good. Quality to cost 3stars. small portion size. Source: Big Chinese cuisine fan.
(3)S N.
Restaurant is clean and staff is friendly . Food is very bland and practically tasteless. Good quality but lacking in taste. Would not come back or recommend . PF Chang's is way better.
(3)Priscilla K.
Well... I really enjoyed the dish; however the next day I had a severe stomache problem. Same thing happened again the day after with left over foods of here. Something wrong with their ingredients or am i sensitive? Had to run to the pharmacy and had a pill..
(1)Jamie S.
Great food, horrible customer service. Extremely disappointed with this place. This was my first time here and the customer service was just awful. Took them 45 minutes to bring out our appetizers. And that was after 15-20 minutes of waiting at our table to be served. We had to ask them for drinks since the waitress never asked if we wanted anything to drink, and in the 2 hours we spent here they refilled our once, our waitress never asked us how the food was, and we were completely ignored. The person who gave us our food avoided us, avoided eye contact, and immediately walked away. Rude employees, horrible service. I won't be coming back or recommending friends here. I've gotten better service at Taco Bell.
(1)Amanda M.
THE BEST WEDDING CATERERS EVER!!! I cannot imagine our wedding day without Bo and Tuyen by our side, literally from start to finish. My husband and I had our wedding at the beautiful San Francisco City Hall. No, we didn't just have the ceremony there, we rented the entire building to have the whole shabang happen in the Rotunda on December 28, 2013. So, why did it take me so long to write this review? Because I wanted you to know that six months afterwards, my wedding caterers are still the talk of my family and friends and I STILL believe working with them was the best decision I ever made. 1. Wedding planning- as we all know, this can be a very stressful task. Bo was always just a text message or call away to help me plan every detail, from menu placement, to napkin fold, to signature drinks. Where Bo and Tuyen get the most points is working with SF City hall for the first time and meeting all the various code requirements. From fire permits, to tarp and flooring requirements, Bo and Tuyen made it happen. 2. The food- it was absolutely remarkable. My guests rave about it every time I talk to them! The lobster...the crab soup...the walnut shrimp...the lobster...the potato beef...the lobster!! It was all so delicious! We had 3 signature drinks that were made perfectly. 3. Professionalism/cost- Ginger Cafe is a very professional establishment and it never wavered. The cost was very reasonable and I swear I wish I could have given them more! They were so amazing, I literally would give them everything I had. The City Hall had doubts that Ginger Cafe could pull off such a big job, but Bo and Tuyen continued to assure me that they wouldn't let me down, and they didn't. Also, on my wedding night, we needed the fire Marshal to stay longer than anticipated. Instead of closing up the food shop early, Bo paid for the Marshal to stay and we reimbursed him later. 4. Other- I think they were surprised that my husband and I are Black and wanted their food...of course we did! Yes, their food is universal. You do not have to be Asian, or white, or green, the food and service are UNIVERSAL! Bo and Tuyen will be friends of ours forever. Thank you thank you thank you! Search Amanda and Steven Mason on vimeo to view our wedding highlight film! vimeo.com/m/88496028
(5)Sunny C.
I love this place and it always hits the spot... I've been for lunch (great specials), dim sum, for drinks with friends, and even for a date night. Food is always flavorful (yet no MSG!). The owner is Chinese, but grew up in Vietnam, so blends the best of 2 fantastic cuisines. American Chinese offerings like orange chicken are just OK, but Thai and Vietnamese dishes are the strong suit here. Dumpling Soup, Mandarin Tofu, Lemongrass chicken, caramelized garlic prawns and mango chicken are all wonderful. My friends have enjoyed the mongolian beef. It's casual, but has a nice ambience. Skip PF Changs, this place is so much better
(4)Jessica P.
The service at this restaurant was very slow and sluggish. Everything took forever to show up from water until the bill. The Dim sum is also not the best in the area. There was no manager on duty to supervise or see where they fell short. People were going to the main cashier to order their drinks after being seated.
(2)Mansi A.
Hello tasty Chinese food in Sunnyvale! Rarely do I come across Chinese restaurants that satisfy my craving, and Ginger Cafe did just that! We ordered a variety of dishes and loved each of them! Situated nearly across from PF Chang's, Ginger Cafe definitely has a battle to fight. Support the little guys and choose to dine here - you really will love it.
(4)Robbert W.
Always ordered out from this place until today and food has always been amazing. Decided to dine in today and unfortunately our server was very impolite (basically ignored us and was sarcastic when he did pay attention to us). He was replaced after a while with another server who was better, but I do not think I will be eating in here again.
(3)Helena L.
Go for the Dim Sum and stay for everything else. I've been a few times and haven't tried something that did me wrong. The dishes are creative but hearty, and the only server I've ever had there was super helpful. The ambiance is nice if you ignore how much it is trying to be elephant bar. Don't bother with the cocktails. I'm docking one star because the menu lacks brown rice.
(4)Sarah S.
Best food, amazing service. The mango chicken is the best thing ever! All of the dishes are fresh, tasty, and consistently good!
(5)Natalie G.
The food here is delicious! The portions are generous and the food is great. The staff is friendly and the service is good. It is family friendly, which is great! We will definitely make this a regular dinner spot.
(5)Melanie C.
Wow. So SO good. Pretty inside. Everything I have had is delicious, piping hot. I want to try everything on the menu. The banana dessert is to die for, my favorite so far has to be the mango chicken curry. Go now.
(5)Krystal M.
I was really disappointed with the food here. I chose to try this place because I wanted to avoid getting fast food. The restaurant is big and well decorated with a bar. So I expected their food to be very authentic and flavorful since they appear to be a "fine-dining" restaurant. I ordered the Kung pao chicken to-go and It took about 10 mins to prepare. When I got home to eat it, it already looked really bland and had no color besides a few bell peppers. It tasted worse that it looked. No flavor at all, it was just brown mush. Kung pao chicken is supposed to be spicy right? This had no taste at all. For $10 I expected a lot more and was very disappointed. I would chose Panda Express over this place any day.
(3)Ari I.
Went out for dinner with husband and daughter, restaurant looks nice and clean. They seated us within 10 minutes which is good, the place wasn't too crowded. We waited for 30 minutes until someone is taking our order. We order Blue crab dumplings for appetizer Orange Chicken , steamed rice, Three sizzling hot and chili chicken for the main course. Appetizer and main course come out together, everything was bland except for the chili chicken because it was covered with raw chopped garlic and dry chili pods. Panda Express served better and tastier menu than this place. My daughter said the steamed rice taste better than the orange chicken.
(2)K M.
This place rocks, great portions and service was exceptional!
(5)Robert H.
I do not recommend Ginger Café. After a few bites I told the waiter that I did not care for the lunch. The waiter replied that the next time I should order it less sweet; what he should have done was to ask me if I would like a new lunch selection at no additional price. He did not think of that. The restaurant played a radio station with commercial advertisements that customers could hear. I do not care to hear commercials; I thought that was insensitive. They should play soft music with no commercials or they should have no music. On the brighter side: the soup was good. I will probably not return.
(2)Sam K.
This place was fantastic. the decor is beautiful, and the food was amazing! We had the Mu Shu Chicken Rolls, Fun Pei Salad with soft crab, Pecan Prawns, orange chicken, pineapple fried rice, and potato beef. The last was suggested by the server, and it felt a little out of place, but tasted amazing! Portions were generous and 4 adults had A LOT of left-overs. We pretty much all agreed that it was the best Chinese we'd ever had. I took it all to go, so can't speak for the service, but the server was very nice and ensured that everything was correct and done quickly.
(5)Nancy K.
Went to Ginger Cafe for Fathers day Dinner they hardly had any customers just 2 family's .No one was there to greet .Finally 5 minutes later a guy walks in and acknowledged us . when we sat down the server didnt show up good 15minutes . I was still very patient i was going through the pictures and the menu .Finally our server should up we ordered our main course kung pao chicken , salt ad pepper shrimp, fried rice , and chicken chowein and for apptezier we had lettuce wrap and taro shrimp cake . Food was good better than PF changs. Service sucks i ordered my drink she brought it a few inutes later i was drinking it and realised the glass was brooken and had a very long crack on it and i told my server . She gave me a luk like i did it i only had a sip why the heck would i break ur glass she didnt evevn appolgize and just transfred the drink in other glass. VERY VERY RUDE STAFF. 2 stars are for the food only....
(2)Nasser M.
This place is underrated. Their food is very good - the vegetable dumplings are great (add hot sauce). The 'vegetarian' Kung Pau chicken (it's tofu) is very tasty: even meat lovers will like it. And they have this tender, delicious vegetarian dish called 'Sautéed Vegetable de Asia' which is made with eggplants, tofu, and eggs. Amazingly good!
(5)Alice R.
Always good food here! But the iced tea Is horrible. It used to be very good but today it was watery and tasteless,
(5)Krista J.
I ordered mango chicken for lunch takeout and it was delicious! Definitely a must-try dish. There was enough to split into two or three servings, but it wasn't quite as good reheated as it was fresh. Rake out comes with rice, soup, and the main dish. I only wish they had some nutritional information at the restaurant - I asked at the front.
(4)Yen B.
This review is for wedding catering. Sorry Bo and Tuyen for taking so long to write you a review! I met them at an expo two years prior to my wedding date and decided to keep their catering menu for later usage. After two years of doing researches and comparisions, I decided to go with Ginger's cafe. Trust me, I spent a lot of time and money on different caterers to find what I wanted. These were my reasons for choosing Ginger's Cafe: - Responsive -Affordable - Flexible - Accomodated I chose the family style, most expensive package and that was less than $600 per table for ten. The menu came with three butler-passed appertizers, which I changed one from eggroll to spring roll. My guests loved, loved, loved the shrimp curlers, a must at the wedding. I was surprised to find out that these apps were all you can eat, so it was nice to have during the cocktail hour. The main dinner was an eight-course meal. I had to change almost half of the menu to accomodate half Asian and half Caucasian guests. They were so patience and accomodated while I decided on the menu. Food was good and so much. We had guests bring home the left-overs. Even the tables with Hawaiians, there were food left-overs to bring home. Overall, I am glad to have chosen Ginger's Cafe for my wedding. Great service, food, price, and people. I would recommend those who are looking for a caterer to at least check them out.
(5)Matthew L.
The menu sounds great and is very interesting but the execution is lacking. Sea bass dumplings were awesome, lamb buns were okay but the flavors didn't quite go together, and the beef chow fun was average.
(3)John P.
Angel and Able are the best(Angle is a doll). Best Chinese food in San Jose. Service was fantastic, definetly coming back again
(5)Mansi D.
This place is amaze!! Deceiving looks and name but it's amazing. Walk in and you'll see the difference. Being a vegetarian, I usually don't find so many options at Chinese places but this was a "vegetarians delight". Good quantity, good choices, yum food! The drinks are pretty good too!
(5)Anusha P.
Their chow fun was amazing. Vegetable dumplings were just about okay. But the tofu sauteed with cumin was super good! Definitely recommended.
(4)Lauren P.
Great service, AMAZING FOOD. I got the pineapple fried rice and the Shaking beef, so incredibly delicious.
(5)A C.
I tried giving the place a chance but doing so sent into anaphylactic shock. I ordered something simple that I thought they couldn't fuck up and I was very wrong: I got vegetable chow mein. On the menu it said it had celery, scallions, onions but absolutely nothing about any sort of mushrooms. I am severely allergic to mushrooms and then when I'm about to enjoy my food a huge clump of shiitake is awaiting me. Please realize if you are serving an allergen, list it on your fucking menu before you end up with a lawsuit!!!
(1)Catherine L.
In a little plaza across from PF Changs, this is definitely a better alternative. A fusion between American and Chinese food this was a great change of pace from our usual food fare. Ordered the fried taro/shrimp dim sum and we both really liked it even though my friends not a huge taro fan. The won ton soup was good and tasted a lot like mine which surprised me. They also added mushrooms to the soup but I thought they could have been cooked a little longer.. a little too firm still. Next we had a sauteed noodle which was okay and basil chicken which was much more saucier than I expected. I really liked the basil chicken but it was really different from what I expected. Will definitely return!
(4)Maya A.
I came here for the dimsum (all day!), and really enjoyed it. The wrappers on the dumplings were delicious and not too overpowering to the filling. I will definitely come back here for the dumplings and potstickers!
(4)Sv U.
Went to Ginger Cafe for the first time yesterday; it was a group of 10 for my son's birthday. Food was delicious and well prepared. Had the dim sum sampler, soft shell crab fresh rolls (excellent), fried tilapia filet with chili and garlic, potato beef, orange chicken, pineapple rice and chicken chow fun. My son raved about the fried tilapia filet; he was impressed on how good it was. The kids loved the porcupine custard buns. The Thai iced tea, Vietnamese iced coffee and smoothies were great as well. Our waiter Nathan was attentive and always kept our waters filled. Overall, a great experience and we will come back again.
(5)Guru S.
Food was very good. The only bad thing was some items took a bit long to get. Otherwise they were very friendly with a big smile and very courteous. Will definitely go back. We ordered the BokChoy Shrimp Dumplings, Sizzling rice soup, Chow Mein, Kung Pao Chicken, Fried Tilapia Filet with Chili and Garlic.
(4)Roxanne K.
Ginger Cafe catered our wedding (June 8, 2013) so this will be a review of them as a vendor. My husband and I have a big family. 200 people with our sides combined and we had about 100 friends we wanted to invite so we knew we were going to have a big wedding. We also wanted to have a banquet style dinner reception with Asian food that wasn't at a Chinese restaurant because I did NOT want our colors to be red red red (although I love the 49ers and bleed red & gold). Cue Ginger Cafe. From the very beginning, Bo and Tuyen were great in responding to our questions/concerns. We went in for a tasting, and they let us personalize the menu to what we wanted. We had the following: Appetizers: chicken teriyaki skewers, fried tofu cup in Mandarin sauce, and shrimp crueller roll (ALL SO VERY GOOD!) - Cauliflower crabmeat soup (misleading name as it really is cauliflower cream soup with a crabmeat dumpling) - The filet mignon luc lac (cooked perfectly and a big hit with the guests) - Lobster (another big hit!) - Taro duck (WELL WORTH THE extra$ since is REALLY good.) - Steamed fish (this was the last main dish to be served so people were full by then, but it was eaten) - Pineapple fried rice (My family is Filipino and they believe that rice should accompany all dishes so they didn't want to wait until the end for this. As a result of their requests for steamed rice, this dish was brought out before the Lobster... lol) Dessert: "Mouse/porcupine" custard buns and Steamed "Pig" custard buns. I'll have to post photos of them, but we asked them to make these specifically because they're our Chinese zodiac signs. Their service was also wonderful! The only complaint was that the servers during cocktail hour stayed in one spot (all together) until after Bo told them to walk around... So hopefully they make sure their employees know to do this! But other than that, they were really good and timing when they removed each course/added another. If you want to have delicious food and experienced caterer willing to work within your budget and your tastes, trust Ginger Cafe! Bo and Tuyen and the rest of the Ginger Cafe staff are the best!!!!!!!!
(5)Katie R.
Nice to be away from the chains. Only issue is the temperature in the restaurant. It's always freezing in there.
(4)Monica V.
Good Food..... Pleasant environment.... one word of advice.... choose your dishes carefully.... the specially made ones (shrimp, pepper beef, crab appetizer) rather than the traditional dishes such as kung pao chicken are much more flavorful.....keep finding myself coming back again and again!
(3)Al S.
Came in for the first time last week... absolutely love it! Nice ambiance and friendly crew. Had 2 dishes... Orange Beef: great consistency, enough crispness and not overwhelming flavor... Tofu with Mandarin Sauce: same thing with the crispness, love the sauce with the garlic. Service is excellent! Carrie and the rest of the crew had us well attended, my water glass was refilled promptly. Will be back soon! :)
(4)Lesley G.
I drive by this place on my way to work and decided to give it a whirl on date night. Overall it was pretty good experience. The restaurant is surprisingly spacious with a decent sized bar and wine selection. Our food was brought out to us very quickly and my pad thai was delicious. Only thing that could be improved is the service. Our waitress wasn't rude or unprofessional, but she wasn't very friendly or attentive either. Seemed like her heart wasn't in it. Other than that, I was very pleased and would definitely eat there again.
(4)Matt G.
Initially I thought this café was a simple ordinary diner. But it turned to be a trendy Asian Fusion restaurant similar to P F Chang, which is also as luck would have it, located right across the street on El Camino Real and Mathilda Avenue. To nobody's surprise that I didn't do the research of this place. I ordered one of the lunch specials: The Orange Chicken with fried rice and a free bowl of house soup for $8.00. I also ordered a Mint Mojito soda drink- a non-alcoholic drink for $3.50. While waiting for my food and drink, I was admiring the stylish ambience with Asian heritage and culture all over the venue. The transcending bar is also cool with many local wines and the most popular hard liquor display on the wall. My soup was an egg soup with crabmeat and vegetable. This is the restaurant's version of the Westlake soup. Soup: yelp.com/biz_photos/B980… My drink had crushed mint leaf, hint of limejuice, and Lemon-lime soda. It was refreshing. Drink: yelp.com/biz_photos/B980… My dish had bits of fried chicken meat and glazed with a tangy orange sauce. The fried rice had mixed vegetable and spices mixed with the rice. It was a pretty good dish and the portion is just right. My dish: yelp.com/biz_photos/B980… We all can coincide that we can get these dishes at P F Chang. But this is a family-owned business, in which I definitely support.
(4)Ronald L.
I've only been here for lunch so my review will focus on the dim sum and lunch specials. *Crispy tofu in mandarin sauce - For $8.25, you get about 10-12 crispy tofu drizzled in sweet mandarin sauce. How to describe mandarin sauce? Well, it's a slightly thick and slightly sweet black colored sauce with the same consistency of oil. I'm guessing it's soy sauce + sugar + oil. It sounds unhealthy but this dish may be the only thing I'll eat if I decide to turn vegetarian. By the way, when then waiter asks you if you want white or fried rice, request white rice since the sauce + fried rice will probably satisfy your daily sodium intake by at least twofolds. *Dim sum items: Har gow, shui mai, sticky rice in lotus leaf, steamed pork buns, taro cake, and egg rolls are the usual you've probably had elsewhere. The only flaw here is the inflated price. One thing that the ladies love are the porcupine shaped custard buns!
(4)Diane W.
We enjoyed a delicious dim sum dinner this evening. All of the dishes were excellent except for the lobster dumplings. They had a strange mealy dried pea/corn taste. I love lobster, so if they need to skimp on it, just skip it. I'd recommend skipping them until they rework the recipe. The shrimp bok choy dumplings were amazing. Big chunks of shrimp. Probably the best I have ever had. The steamed pork buns were also better then any I can remember. The porcupines were adorable but I was too full to enjoy them. Todd was our waiter and he was very nice. It's a pretty place and no one rushed us. That part was perfect. I would happily return.
(4)Patty C.
What a masquerade of a restaurant.. If they put as much effort into the quality/taste/pricing of the food as they did the decor and presentation, this place would be a massive hit. Almost everything on the menu is $10+. Anything with seafood or meat is $15+. Which would have been okay, had anything tasted halfway decent. I mean who prices small dim sum at $4-$5. I understand they have such things as "lobster" dumplings etc, which taste A-okay but quite honestly i doubt it's anything but imitation lobster. I have tried their lunch special which is a small bowl of soup, rice and a small entree for $8-$9, and VERY standard Chinese fare, with such things as mango chicken, sweet & sour pork, string bean chicken etc. One word: AVERAGE. What completely made me feel ripped off was my order of a "Fried Tilapia Filet" ($15). In spite of the waiter's recommendations, what this entree really was, was a flavorless, tough, deep fried frozen fish swimming in soy sauce and sugar. It was so salty i had to pour all the sauce into my separate rice bowl. And, i'm no world class chef, but anyone who has even cooked the slightest bit could probably cook this dish better than whoever cooked this travesty of a dish. All one has to do is pan fry a ton of garlic, green onions, chili peppers, and ginger in oil, then douse it in a bit of soy sauce with a bit of sugar. How on earth does one mess up on something SO simple, SO badly. The only saving grace of this restaurant is their service, but .... even their rice was pretty terrible. Leftover rice is too obvious.
(1)caren c.
I am giving them a 5 star for a wonderful customer service and and a great meal each time my family dined here. Whenever we crave for asian cuisine, we go to this place because it's very welcoming, very relaxing and very modern. It almost feels like you're home. Very clean and the chairs are comfortable. They never wear out! Unlike other restaurant that when you sit, you're almost sinking and very sticky. Absolutely great customer service! My soda and water are being refilled promptly. The food is great. Big portions. We always order mongolian beef, crispy mandarin tofu, sui mai, crab dumplings, cream cheese crab puffs, x.o. fried rice but today we tried the combination fried rice and it was delish! For dessert: cream cheese banana pie & porcupine custard. Today we ordered fried banana with ice cream. For some reason, it wasn't what we expect. It has a different taste, like minty cherry? My kids didn't really enjoy it. We'll stick to the cream cheese banana pie! :') Happy hour is from 3-6. Overall: although we didn't like the dessert we order today, I still recommend this place! Customer Service is on top of the chart! Very attentive, cheerful and nice servers!
(5)Dawn M.
We went again for restaurant week. Meals were $35 and served two. We didn't know that and ordered two specials. We brought half home as the family style meals were HUGE! We had: minced chicken lettuce cups and green papaya salad bacon wrapped scallops with tofu and snow peas coconut ice cream with fried bananas (5 scoops!) and cassava dessert Service was excellent and the waits were very, very happy albeit tired running off their feet all day with this promotion. I don't know why this place gets so many poor reviews as we are always treated very well and the food is always excellent. My husband is a very picky, always hungry corporate chef and we tip well.
(5)Andrew D.
It's kinda of sad this place is literally across the street from PF Changs. Most people know PF Changs because of the name but not Ginger Cafe. If you want better food and less waiting time, go to Ginger instead. Anyways, this place is an excellent Asian American fusion restaurant. It provides dishes from Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai cross with American flavors. It's kind of on the pricy side, depending on what you order. Skip on the dumplings, Vietnamese egg rolls, etc.., The appetizers are just not as good as their entrees. The scallops tofu, string bean chicken, beef with asparagus and crispy tofu in mandarin sauce is what my fiance and I order most of the time. It's good! This location looks like a family own franchise since the waiters/waitresses have physical similarities and how they carry themselves. I strongly recommend this place if you like Asian American fusion type foods.
(4)T N.
I didn't come here for 100% authentic Chinese cuisine. If that's what you want then go to Cupertino. Ginger Cafe was close by and open late. I was impressed by the customer service, ambiance and now let's get to the point: The food was surprisingly good! Crispy firm tofu in Mandarin sauce was GREAT! Noodles with vegetables also perfect Portions are reasonable. The price was a bit high but that's to be expected. I glanced at the seafood section on the menu and the price of the steamed bass was ridiculously overpriced. Will visit again!
(4)Vanny L.
Been here a dozen times and each lunch has been for me atleast a 5 star rating. My coworkers and I decided to come in on a Friday and although I never ordered the Dim SUm before, we thought we'd try it. The 3 piece dim sum came out and it looked from the outside, very appealing. But when my coworker took a bite into it, he squirmed as the dim sum was still COLD. We werent sure if it was suppose to be COLD???! I mean we usually eat hot dim sum but maybe this one was different?... so we called the waiter and she said, yeah sorry its "supposed" to be HOT. lol WOW. No biggie, she took the order back and actually steam cooked it longer, it finally came out after our main entrees. Crispy Tofu (Melts in your Mouth), Potato Beef (spicy! But you can ask for no peppers), Soft Shell Crab Fun Pei Salad (this salad dish is so different with all the right flavors), Salty Fish Fried Rice (nothing too crazy, just wished they put more salty fish), Veggie Delight (OK) Overall, i would go back as portions are very big, and we always have left overs. They also give a soup of the day. I only wished the waiter took the cold dim sum off our tab, that would have been very nice. One star off = 4 out of 5.
(4)Enza P.
My boyfriend and I came here for a well deserved lunch over the weekend. Their lunch specials menu run from 11-3PM daily. I was surprised that even on a Saturday they had them going. All lunch specials come with fried rice/steamed rice and the soup of the day. We had a very long morning so we ordered ourselves drinks as well. My boyfriend had beer while I had a glass of wine. I ordered red wine initially but they brought out Chardonnay by accident. I decided to keep it anyway and it tasted good. They give you a generous portion of wine! My boyfriend ordered the Mongolian Beef with Onions and Scallions in Hoisin Sauce with steamed rice. Meanwhile, I ordered the Crispy Tofu in Mandarin Sauce. I don't remember what kind of soup they gave us, but I remember finishing it. We decided to go halfsies on our beef and tofu. I liked both dishes but I really loved the Crispy Tofu more. It was so delicious! The sauce it came with was delicious too. The Mongolian Beef was okay, but I thought the sauce was too salty. Overall though, the drinks, food, and service was good and I would definitely come back. The pricing for lunch is honestly unbeatable. I saw the dinner menu pricing also and it seemed reasonable as well.
(4)Charles Y.
The dim sum is overall very tasty -- particularly the bok choy and shrimp, steamed pork buns, and custard buns. However, the lobster dumplings are quite gross (they have peas and corn inside, and the steaming makes them powdery). Lobster taste = 0. They should pop this item right off the menu and never serve it again. It would be a much better restaurant if the lobster dumpling went far, far away.
(4)Eugene L.
I was in the Mood for Chinese food so I rolled to Ginger Cafe in my Work Whip jamming the Black Eyed Peas. Ginger Cafe is located in a Newer Strip mall on ElCamino and Mathilda in Sunnyvale. I like that its in a Low Key area with plenty of Parking. I walked in and was greeted and seated . I like the Decor of the place its really nicely decorated with Asian Artifacts . It really would make a great Date spot . The place has an Elegant feel to it. I was served by a very Attractive Spinner type Waitress that was also very Sweet and Attentive. I ordered the Pan Fried Blue Crab Dumplings for an Appetizer and the Peking Duck for my Main Entree . My Server warned me that the Peking Duck would take 20 minutes , Not a problem Peking Duck is one of my faves. My Server brought me a Coke and the Blue Crab Dumplings . The Dumplings were Yummy. My Peking Duck was brought out a Little while later . It was a really nice Presentation . It came with Hoison Sauce and Pancakes. My Server also brought me the tallest bowl of Rice LOL. The Chef did an Awesome job with the Peking Duck the Skin was Perfect and Crisp. The meat was shaved off the Duck Carcass and thin sliced perfect for the Pancakes and Dipping. It was so Rich and Decadent.. Just Foodgasmic. Plus they take Discover!!! I'm a Fan!
(4)Vik S.
Just awful. My wife and I came here for a late lunch and I have to say....yuck!! Ordered the garlic prawns, wit steamed rice, and soup of the day. Pork buns off the "dim sum" menu. The beef soup came to the table lukewarm and tasted like they just opened a can of Campbell's tomato soup, squirted some soy sauce into it, tossed in a couple pieces of beef and topped with old green onions. I ate 1 sip of it and then pushed it the hell away from me. I told the guy who took it away that I didnt care for it at all and he just shrugged. Next came the pork buns which looked and tasted like they came from someone's bun. Of course they tried to fool us with the steamer tray, but it obvious they were merely frozen and then clumsily microwaved. When our waittress noticed that 90% of it was left, I remarked, again that I didn't care for it. This time we got a nervous giggle instead of the shoulder shrug Our entrees were OK. Garlic prawns and kung pao chickeh, the meat was good and cooked nicely but the overpowering taste of salt and too much soy sauce dominated the dishes in a revolting way. We won't be back, they didn't seem to give a crap about our experience, we were just another $32 dollars into the till.
(1)Sara P.
I had the most delicious beef and egg soup, and the kung pao chicken was incredible. I definitely will be back to try more!
(5)Evey G.
We've gotten take out from here twice now. I love the fact that they have so many vegetarian options. Snaps for that! The food is okay. I think we'll keep looking, though. But at least it's a solid standby if needed. The vegetable chow mein has an odd spice to it which is not unpleasant, but somewhat out of place to me. I did enjoy the kung pao tofu. Solid food, for sure. Have not tried eating in the restaurant, but it's a good bet for takeout.
(3)Lora L.
Not a fan. I ordered their pad thai which tasted nothing like the dish. It consisted of a handful of bland noodles and bland chicken and the rest cabbage. It was like eating a head of cabbage for lunch. A positive is that the staff is very nice and attentive. But i didn't pay for people to be nice to me while i'm eating mulch. Gross.
(1)Marilyn H.
My husband and I tried Ginger Cafe for the first time last night after hearing there was an hour wait at PF Chang's across the street. We were very glad we did. The food is delicious and the menu was very interesting and enticing. A bigger table and we probably would have ordered much more. The wait staff is friendly but not very attentive. Our food took awhile to come but the waiter forgot my husband's diet coke and our combination fried rice. We eventually got the diet coke but never saw the fried rice. The staff seemed overwhelmed but stayed very nice. Eventually, our waiter apologized for the serving issues and explained they had a very large party there. For dinner, we tried the honey quail, lamb with cumin and a duck dish (can't remember the name). One observation, the tables for two are too small for the size of the entrees that come out. There wasn't enough room on the table for everything we ordered plus our plates. But we'll go back...I want to try the Dim Sum. Looked good. We'll try to pick a time when there isn't a large party dominating the time of the chef and the wait staff. Worth trying again, we'll head there first and use PF Chang as the possible alternative.
(4)Ankur G.
me and my wife were craving some spicy asian fusion cuisine and i found this place on yelp. we ordered a carry out of chilli chicken and chicken fried rice. my rating would be: chiili chicken 3/5 chicken fried rice 4.5/5 definitely a repeat! we loved the ambiance of cafe ginger as well. next visit would surely be a dine in!
(4)Allister D.
Finally, I have been here for the very first time and my experience was a good one! The outside of the bistro looks a bit odd? I could have sworn this was a some type of insurance place lol...anyway, the inside is great! It's sort of like an upscale asian fusion joint that consists of buddah statues, asian ancient artifacts, and holy grail achitecture. I noticed the bar which is in fact, a full service bar! There is NO HH here so don't bother asking. The service was pretty friendly. They can't really answer your question because they probably don't give a hoot. I ordered their Viet ice coffee which was kinda bland and tooooo sweet. It sucked compared to the one I had in the past. Anyway, I ordered the kung pao vegetable dish which had tofu rather than the chicken...I loved it! not too saucy and the spice was just right! I wasn't sweating off my ass while eating. The fried rice was good too because it had that eggy texture to it rather than falling off grain. The dish was affordable; $9 lunch special! I can actually say, one plate was enough. A good complaint I have for this place is the way they handle their service. My friends drink had a dead fly floating in the middle surrounded by ice cubes and I had to say something. The waiter just smiled and said oh ok. He didn't apologize or offer anything else. WOW. That is not a good sign. I will be coming back though!!
(4)Evelyn K.
Tried out their lunch specials recently at my first internship lunch. It was tasty, comes with soup, choice of white and fried rice, and entree. We also ordered some dim sum items and of course gotta order the porcupine buns, so cute.
(4)Tara S.
I brought my 9 year old daughter here for Valentine's Day! We LOVED it! We started with the crab/cream cheese wontons, a.k.a. crab rangoon. They're VERY good...and I'm always on the lookout for the best. We also got the sticky rice in a lotus leaf. My daughter ordered it which I thought was pretty adventurous for a 9 year old! It was also VERY good....it had mushrooms (shitake, maybe?), some kind of meat (I didn't read the menu on this one), and a salty sauce.... GOOD! For our main dishes, we got wonton soup (another surprise order from the midget) and my FAV, the vegetarian sesame chicken. The soup was AWESOME! A good broth is hard to come by, and this was perfect. They don't skimp on the wontons which I appreciate, and the bok choy wasn't at all bitter. The veggie sesame chicken is TDF (to die for)! I don't know how they get the consistency of the tofu (or whatever they use) that way, but it's like really tender chicken. The sauce is perfect...I don't know why I continue to order rice...I never eat it. At the end of the meal, we got a complimentary dessert (for Vday, maybe?) that I NEVER would have ordered on my own, but now I can't wait to go back and order it again...it was 2 little squares of gelatin with coconut cream on top and a little sprinkle of crushed peanuts. The gelatin was red and white striped...don't know the flavors, but it was sweet and tart and SOOO good!
(4)Laura B.
Sunday morning, driving around, looking for a breakfast alternative to Denny's. Behold! Ginger Cafe. Visions of gingerbread dance in my head. Warm coffee, hot waffles, and...cocktails? A giant wall of booze and OoOooo it's Chinese-Thai fusion cuisine, of COURSE. In perhaps the most awkward showing of my Caucasian assumptions, my boyfriend and I stumbled upon this strip mall diner-mirage expecting a crowded place full of people scarfing omelets and OJ. What we got was a desolate, though lavishly decorated (for 11 am) Asian eatery. Que sera, right? Too proud to back out, we took the menus with gusto. To hell with coffee, fried rice it is. I ordered the Kung Pao Vegetarian Chicken ($8.25, lunch pricing). That's Kung Pao Chicken, but with fake chicken. You wouldn't even notice it's meat free - absolutely delicious. BF ordered the Curry Chicken ($8.75, lunch), which was a sweeter Thai curry. The vegetables in it were delicious, although I was a little turned off by the giant hunks of eggplant - but I'm not too big on eggplant in general. Both came with either steamed white or fried rice, and the portions were definitely sizable. I left full and still had enough leftover for lunch the next day. Service was kind, if not overly attentive. Comfortable dining, though I would definitely recommend it for dinner over a Sunday brunch. Overall, good asian food, though for lunch pricing I could go with a little cheaper. Portions more than make up for it though. Worth a shot, but will not satiate your waffle craving. Better luck next time :P
(3)Stephanie N.
Really enjoyed my experience here. The server was really attentive and the food was awesome. I'm surprised since I came here on a late night and no one was in. Their veggie dishes were really awesome and their drink menu looked delish! This spot is in a totally lonely plaza and I was surprised that it's not packed with people later at night. My gripe is that it's way expensive. I guess when you're on OpenTable, you get to up the prices on the menu by $10? Geez. I definitely recommend this restaurant who wants to try some Asian-fusion/Chinese food or get dim sum all day long! The dim sum menu is limited but hey, it's really good!
(4)Addi M.
3.5 stars, but the decor is just fantastic! I love the dark moody woods against light fabrics and bold walls. Seems like it would be a hoppin' place for a girls-night-out or something! Sunday lunch at noonish, and it was pretty dead, which we were worried was a bad sign. But we sat down and were a bit surprised by the extensive menu and options! We ordered Shanghai dumplings, which had no soup in them, but still tasty. We also had Peking Duck, and the skin was so crunchy and delightful I would have wanted a plate just of that...however, the little buns that come with the dish weren't buns. They were decoratively cut TORTILLAS. I'm dead serious. They were tortillas. And them even came in a warming container that said "torillas." I'm sorry, those just can't replace the flavor and fluffiness of the buns. But I was more humored by it than annoyed. Last, our pad thai was hardly that...more a spicy mix between pad-see-ew and chow mien. Our waitress though was really helpful and pointed out to us which items had adjustable spiciness on the menu, and informed us about the lunch menu vs. regular menu (family style, she suggested two plates). And I had a $50 gift card, so I probably feel a little swayed. Maybe I'll come back, because I'm just so in love with the interior design. Heads up, it's SUPER tricky to find. It's on the inner most lot of the corner, so you can't see it from the street!
(3)LUCY N.
I booked Ginger Cafe for my wedding. It definitely is not your traditional Chinese banquet dinner. I loved them because they put a great authentic but unique twist to all of their plates, e.g. salmon egg-rolls, sticky rice in banana leaf, and a collie flower soup that was wonderful. I brought my parents along for the tasting, and the manger Bo actually came out to greet us and made sure that our experience was an enjoyable one. After the tasting, he even sat with us to make sure our menu order for our wedding was exactly to our preference. Bo even went as far as to work with my wedding planner to accommodate us and go an extra mile to make our wedding a dream come true. As busy as my wedding day was, I even remember seeing Bo again, and meeting the rest of his kitchen staff. It was also a plus hearing that our guests loved our food and could not get enough of it! I highly recommend Ginger Cafe as your wedding caterer..ask for Bo!
(5)Tejaswi Kumar S.
The lunch menu is good, all items come with soup and rice. We ordered calamarized ginger shrimp and chilly chicken. Both were crispy and tasty. But I observed that the quality of food not consistent.
(3)Yuna J.
I have been to ginger cafe twice and was so happy with the food and service. ordered the blue Hawaii and it was so good. as for appetizers, we had the crab rangoons, hai gow, lobster dumplings. the lobster dumplings were so good, I can't even explain it. its definitely worth trying. we also had the tamarind seafood soup, and that was HEAVENLY. there was so much seafood packed into the soup. the soup was flavored just right, not too sour, not too spicy or sweet. I had 3 bowls of that good stuff all by myself! the service was great, the waiters and waitresses dont wait for you to ask them, they come to you! I plan on being a regular here, I like the food so much!!
(5)Elaine T.
One day I was craving some dim sum and I remembered seeing a flyer for this place somewhere so we decided to go check it out. I was excited cause there's not that many good places around the area for dim sum. 2 out of the 3 orders of dim sum came with RAW shrimp. When I bit into the first bite it was warm on the outside and COLD and a little icy on the inside, I looked at what I had just bit into and there it was, shrimp that was still gray. I called over our server and showed it to him. He politely apologized and took it away. I cut into the second order and it was the same... When he came back with the cooked dim sum, he apologized again. It wasn't really a big deal for me cause... well, s*** happens. lol. But I liked that they owned up to it and gave us a discount for the mishap. Other than that, the rest of the food was pretty good and the place itself was really nice. It was a little expensive, but since we got a special little discount it wasn't all that bad. Had the shrimp incident not have happened I probably would've given them 5 stars.
(3)Randy F.
My original plan had been to finally go to Fu Lam Mum and try their dim sum, but the crazy lines outside on Mother's Day made me rethink my plans. Not having anywhere else in mind, I figured I'd drive along El Camino Real until something struck my fancy. That's when I saw the sign for Ginger Cafe. It was fairly quiet inside for a Sunday but the decor was nicer than I expected for a "cafe." Definitely reminiscent of PF Chang's and I expected similar Americanized fare. The menu was a peculiar hodge-podge of Thai (Tom Yum Gong soup, curries) and Chinese (Hot and Sour soup, Hong Kong fried noodles). For Sunday, they even had a dim sum menu, so I got to have some dim sum after all! Not expecting much, I ordered a sticky rice wrapped with lotus leaf and a porcupine custard dessert. We finished the order by trying the Braised E Noodle dish with shrimp ($12). The sticky rice was actually decent and much better than I expected from a place that wasn't doing the volume of any dim sum house. The porcupine custard dessert was another surprise and tasted delicious. It was wonderfully creative and a cute presentation (see pic). Finally, the braised E Noodle came. As expected, it was Americanized and mediocre. For me, the most disappointing part was that I was in the mood for e-fu noodles and the noodles that came were borderline e-fu type, despite the description. Rather than warm and fluffy, they were dry and chewy. If I had to guess, I would have said they were a different type of noodle altogether but I wasn't 100% sure. That's what you get for ordering a standard dim sum house staple (usually lobster or crab w/ dry or soup e-fu noodles). Since it was Mother's Day, they thew in a complimentary dessert and the service was all-around attentive, prompt and polite. I'm not sure where Ginger Cafe fits into the local food scene, but if they can find and strengthen their identity, perhaps they'll have a chance to stand out. BTW they don't take Amex because the staff mentioned Amex charges much higher fees than Visa/Mastercard. Good to know, but I still love my Amex.
(3)Marlyn A.
Food: 3 stars Service: 0 stars This is one of the places where, regardless of how good the food is, the service actually matters. Honestly, because the service was so bad I could hardly recall what even ordered. We ordered so much food that afternoon too. We really went all out. First off, the waiter came by asked if we were ready to order and we told him to give us a few minutes. 15 minutes passed and even when we walked passed us at nearby tables calling for him didn't even help, he just ignored us. I was forced to get out of my seat and search for our waiter to ask HIM if he was ready...WTF? Second of all, after receiving our bill we found that they charged us for food that never made it to the table. Turns out that they gave our food to the table next to us. Well ain't that nice, they get a free meal. Ugh! And third of all, this really puts the cherry on top. After asking them to pack our food to go the man accidentally drops the food onto the floor and had the audacity to ask us "Did you still want that?" Um...no? So we figure, we ask them to remove it from our bill and told us that they'd only take off a partial amount since it wasn't a full order: go figure, 3 out of 4 dumplings should still be charged for a partial order? Seriously? These people baffle me. Don't let this place fool you and seriously, if you're going to play that hit or miss game on this place: just be prepared for disappointment so you won't have high expectations.
(1)Kel W.
This place seems like a mini P.F. Chang's with it's decor. Fancy looking. Lunch specials are pretty good and come with your choice of fried rice or steamed rice and a bowl of hot and sour soup. I've always opted for the fried rice. My go-to plate is the Satay Three Delights. A little more expensive than the others but it's got everything in it, veggies, chicken, shrimp and calamari with a tasty satay sauce. I've also gone with the Potato Beef which was good. Potatoes and beef, simple as that but it works. Service is attentive as well. Next time I'd want to try their Dim Sum menu.
(4)Dimplesz D.
Love ginger cafe! If dont have time or too tired to cook ginger cafe is the place to be!
(4)Andrea B.
My friends and I were starving in Sunnyvale one day, and nothing was open at an awkward time on Sunday afternoon except Ginger Cafe. We were pleasantly surprised, since I honestly expected much worse... The Happy Hour menu is actually pretty reasonably priced. For higher prices, I probably would have given a worse review, but I always believe in quality of food in relation to price when deciding stars. I'd give the happy hour menu 4 stars, but the rest of the entree only 3 stars. Wish I could give 3.5! For appetizers off the HH menu, we started with the the fresh soft shell crab rolls, which were light and delicious with a great sauce. My friends got the cream cheese crab rangoons which were also pretty tasty and not too heavy. For my entree, I got the lettuce turkey wraps. I found these very tasty, but the lettuce came in huge leaves. They literally took an iceburg lettuce and peeled off 10 whole leaves. Pretty crappy presentation, but the turkey was decent, and it left me satisfied but not stuffed. For entrees, my friends got kung pao chicken and basil chicken - these were probably the worst things we ordered. They wished they stuck to the happy hour menu, and I recommend you do too. All in all - not bad if you stick to HH! Beer and cocktails were also super cheap!
(3)Aubrey C.
Ginger Cafe gives off a "poor man's P.F. Chang's" vibe. Not necessarily with respect to the food, which is fresher and less sodium-laden than the Americanized horror that is P.F. Chang's, but with regard to decor. Ginger Cafe has a modernized, fusion-y cafe look to it. I came here recently for lunch since I wanted to try their "all day dim sum." First, I have to say that the dim sum wasn't great -- it was average, but it could have been MUCH worse. In fact, Ginger Cafe's dim sum is probably the same as (or better) than a lot of specialty dim sum restaurants in the South Bay (or anything but the Peninsula/SF area). So from that perspective, it's not bad. The siu mai (pork dumplings) weren't as tender as they should be, but like I said, average dim sum. I also ordered a sauteed chicken with vegetables dish to see how good their actual dishes were. Like the dim sum, it was average -- not amazingly good, but at the same time, not bad. It was certainly less salty and sauce-laden than the stuff at P.F. Chang's or even Panda Express. As long as you know what to expect from Ginger Cafe, you won't be disappointed. Don't expect amazing, authentic Chinese food and you'll do just fine.
(3)Robert L.
Ginger Cafe Date: 2/2/2012 7:30 PM Upon entering the restaurant, the ambience was quiet, relaxing, and dim. First thing I saw was a bar and a server ready to show you a table. The main dining area was a circular area and the ceilings were high. I also remembered small square tables singles and couples and maybe a few for a group of 3-4. There were also a lot of modern aspirations with touches of Asia in the design of the restaurant. Overall, not bad (especially the bathroom). [Score: 4/5] Food: [Three Delights Sizzling Rice Soup][Score: 4/5] The soup was the appetizer dish and it tasted pretty good. The broth was flavorful and the shrimp and calamari didn't taste rubbery. The carrots were cut thinly into shapes of small flowers, which gave it a nice anesthetic look. The snow peas was just there for color I think. Finally, the sizzling rice was interesting because it added a charred flavor to the dish. There wasn't too much rice in the soup so it wasn't heavy. Overall, not bad for a starter. [Peking Duck (Half)][Score: 2/5] The Peking Duck looked exactly as I would expect it to be besides it being laid on top of a piece of lettuce along with some chives, cucumber, and carrots on the side. Also, the thin pancakes came in a separate container. The Peking Duck looked nice but it tasted dry. Duck is a fatty bird and I was expecting more fat juices to gush out whenever I take a bite. Because I'm used to eating Peking Duck with a lot of flavor juices, I was extremely disappointed. The thin pancakes (technically tortillas in my opinion) didn't help either. If the duck wasn't good then the rest of the dish didn't really worked as well. Even when I combined all the elements: pancake with a layer of Hoisin sauce and some duck meat and veggies eaten like a taco, it just didn't taste right with that dry piece of duck. Overall, the dish had flavor but it could have been better. [Salty Fish Fried Rice][Score: 4/5] Salty Fish Fried Rice was a dish I used to eat a lot when I was younger. The good thing about this dish was that it wasn't too salty therefore it was good for people watching their sodium intake. The bad thing about this dish that it might not have been salty enough. The asparagus was something different as well. It had a smokey grill flavor which added a different element versus just stir fried vegetables. The eggs were fluffy and the rice wasn't too oily for me. Another good thing was that the fish and chicken wasn't dry. If the meat was dry then this dish would've been disastrous. Overall, not too bad for fried rice. Might have to add more salt if you need it. [X.O Scallops with Tofu][Score: 1/5] This dish was probably ordered because I was with my little brother at the time. He looked at the picture and the description said scallop, tofu, and X.O. sauce. I personally thought the picture of this dish would make someone not order it but I guess I was wrong. Anyways, we tried it and here's my review. (Can't be on Yelp if you're not willing to try new things). First taste was no surprise. I knew I did not like this dish. On top of a piece of fried tofu was a piece of scallop and on top of them both was a smothering sauce that looked like a mixture of bacon bits and the X.O. sauce. I believe the nice green piece of snow piece was just for garnish and to add color. The fried tofu was soggy because of the smothering sauce. I think the scallop might have been seared but the sauce was also smothering it. If you haven't noticed by now to where I'm going with this, I believed this bacon and X.O. sauce mixture was the culprit killing this dish. I'm just guessing the bacon and X.O. sauce must have been cooked together rather than being cooked as separate items put together. The salty bacon flavor was just too strong and overpowering. I don't think I could taste anything else on this dish because of it. Bacon is not an ingredient that I normally see in Asian cooking. After tasting this dish, the two still probably don't belong together. Overall, I don't recommend this. If you're a pure bacon lover, then I'm just curious as to what is your opinion about this dish. [Porcupine Custard Bun][Score: 5/5] This dish our dessert and it was pretty much just an egg custard bun. I have to admit that the porcupine look does make it unique but it was not necessary. At first I thought it was baked but when I looked on the menu again, it said it was fried. Was this a typo? I'm not sure but it was delicious when I ate it. The outside was buttery and crunchy from what I remember and the egg custard inside was oozing hot, rich, and tasty. Overall, it was a tasty traditional recipe with a lot of emphasis on the porcupine design. (Technically, I think resembles more of a certain blue hedgehog more than a porcupine.) Overall, the Ginger Cafe was a nice modern-style fusion restaurant. I had my hit and misses with the food. Not sure where I stand on it. And finally, prices for what I've eaten were too much I think.
(3)April B.
Prices are very high. I did not like the wonton soup. Will not be back to try other things due to the high prices.
(2)Karen P.
Went here with Nance H. The food was just ok .. nothing special, pretty average. Most of their entree cost around $14 ish, so I suggest that you get the dinner for two special for $30 (4 course meal). Cute cosy decor though! Great for dates or to catch up with a friend. :) Would I eat here again? Sure Would I go out of my way to eat here? Probably not.
(3)Jennifer M.
I enjoyed the food at Ginger Cafe. There are quite a few items on the menu and everything my family and I ordered was tasty. We tried a few items on their dim sum list. The taste was standard at best. I have had better dim sum in a handful of locations in the area. I do recommend the lunch and dinner dishes. The mango chicken is decent and vegetable dishes are great! The appetizers are fun but don't fill up before the main course. Save room for those the minced vegetable lettuce cups and pineapple fried rice.
(4)Tanay N.
This place is nice for a random dinner here and there. It's much closer to PF Chang's style of Chinese food. They have a nice drink selection, and I really like the appetizers -- especially the lettuce wraps and steamed dumplings. The crispy tofu in Mandarin sauce is my favorite dish. Not the cheapest Chinese place in the area, but it's good from time to time for sure.
(4)Joty H.
Great food and ambiance, definitely will be returning soon.
(4)Valerie W.
I used Ginger Café for my wedding caterer and I couldn't have been more pleased with my choice. When planning my wedding, one of my top priorities was food. Although we had many non-Asian guests, I wanted something that represented my heritage but would also be a memorable and unique food experience. Mission accomplished with Ginger Café. From my first contact with Tuyen, he was extremely responsive and always helpful. I decided to go with Ginger Cafe after a few other tastings because of the value and the flexibility I had with customizing the menu. The menu is very reasonably priced, especially for the variety of food offered and the quality of the ingredients. The pricing was very transparent and Tuyen was extremely accommodating of our menu modifications and vegetarian meal requests! The best part of the decision was the rave complements we got on our food. After the wedding, the first thing out of everyone's mouth was how good the food was. In fact, so many guests mentioned the food that we received complements on all of the courses. Each course was mentioned as a favorite by a different guest, from the sea bass to the rice dish to the appetizers to the steak - a true testament to how great everything was. To put this in perspective, we're self-proclaimed foodies and keep similar company. Our tables were named after our 16 favorite restaurants and probably added up to about as many Michelin stars. Obviously, we're not claiming any stars here, but this is wedding food cooked in a portable kitchen. The point is, we're a bit of a tough crowd and these guys hit it out of the park! Finally, Ginger Café focuses on food preparation and are really experienced with catering, including cooking delicious food on-site (which for us involved a portable kitchen, outdoors.) They do less around marketing such as building beautiful websites and fancy sales collateral. However, the team was absolutely professional, accommodating, communicative, and executed our catering to exceed our expectations.
(5)Melody P.
Their vegetarian dishes are yummy, I've only gone here once though. The atmosphere and service is exquisite.
(3)Janie V.
My bf and I came here once for dinner. It was pretty packed. But luckily we got seated right away. The decor is very interesting. Not at all what I imagined for a cafe. There's also a bar right by the front entrance. Interesting indeed. I saw pictures of their dim sum on the tv screen. Guess they also serve dim sum here. Have yet to try it though. The food was mediocre. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't fantastic either. Prices are pretty high, but this is more American Chinese food. I would compare Ginger Cafe to PF Chang's across the street. Very similar styles of food and pricing. Service was a bit lacking that night. Could be because it was so busy. It took a while for them to refill our tea. We ordered a rice dish that apparently they mistakenly gave to us first when it was for another table that came before us. But we just ate it because we had to eat and run to the airport. I'm not sure if they noticed afterwards. Anyway, pretty pricey for the food. Don't know if I'll come back. Maybe for the dim sum just to try it. But I doubt it.
(3)Daisy T.
Ooooooh... it's so pretty inside! *____* Came here to have lunch while at work and I was amazed at how beautiful it was inside. The building doesn't look like much, but inside everything is so nicely designed with the perfect combination of colors. And plenty of windows to let the afternoon light in! I went for one of their lunch specials. All their specials come with soup, one dish and choice of white rice or egg fried rice. You can add a lunch salad for another $1. For my dish I chose the tamarind prawns for $10.50 (but their other lunch specials are less than that around $8). Wow! Even the plate layout looked pretty! It had tons of sweet and sour tamarind flavor. There was almost too much sauce for my rice. I also tasted my friends' Mongolian beef and crispy tofu in mandarin sauce. Both had tons of flavor! In fact, everything had tons of flavor! I hope it's not from using a lot of MSG. And for dessert I HAD to try the fried porcupine custard buns. They were just too cute! The custard inside was sweet and smooth as it should be. I could eat a ton of these. =) Definitely a good lunch spot. I will be back!
(4)C M.
OMG.......This place is still around?? Their "food" is hideous!! The food was truly unedible. And I love to eat! My mom's lunch special was disgusting and just the looks of it made me sick. HOW ON earth does this place survive? My food tasted and looked like a can of condensed cream on rice. I will NEVER ever go back and waste my money. ONE good thing: The waiter was delightful and we tipped him well, but OMG, this place is gross.
(1)Anu M.
I have been to Ginger Cafe a couple of times during lunch and I really like their lunch menu. I recently went to this restaurant for dinner; ordered a Coconut Milk Soup and Curry Chicken; thought that the food was good, but not great. The ambiance is pretty nice and the service is friendly.
(3)Candice T.
I wanted to like this restaurant more than I ended up. But then again, I ordered the mango chicken, against the explicit warnings of my boyfriend and several yelp reviews. The chili chicken was fabulous-tasting but odd in texture. Steamed pork buns are like fluffy angel wings and magic in my mouth. Decor was a hundred times more classy than PF Changs. Service was attentative and accommodating. In an odd bit of luck, I ran into my girlfriend that lives in the crazy world of unintentional humor. Funny seeing her there. I'll be back to try more recommended dishes.
(3)Teju A.
Got a nice surprise when I walked in here on a whim recently. Waitstaff was super nice and offered me a glass of water though I only ordered take out. Nice music and interesting decor to keep the ears and eyes busy while waiting. The food came out quickly and hot and while not all traditional dim sum, pretty yummy.
(3)Michael W.
This place is one of my go to places when I just want to have some good food. I have pretty much had everything on the menu and trust me you really can't go wrong here with anything on the menu. The cuisine here is a chinese fusion of influences from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and California. For me this is perfect, because I grew up eating dishes from these countries and its so great that Ginger Cafe brings them all together under one roof. The service is great here and it is very clean and very well maintained. I have been eating here for more than 4 years and it still looks just as clean as when they first opened, its quite amazing really. Here are some of the items I usually like to get: Dim Sum is served all day! Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf - Very well done here. The sticky rice is very fragrant and the mix of chick, pork, chinese sausage and shitake mushrooms blend with the lotus leaf aroma to yield this savory delectable package of goodness. Sesame Balls - They are mini in size and fried perfectly every time. Some might say the skin is a little on the thicker side, but because of the small size, I think its fine. The they have flavor and frying technique correct. Chinese Sausage Papaya Salad - I almost always start with this. The green papaya, basil, onion and fish sauce vinaigrette is so refreshing that it does a great job in open up my appetite. They also top the dish with thin strips of chinese sausage that they crisp in a pan, which makes them super fragrant and adds an excellent crispy chewy meat texture to the dish that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Basil Chicken - Superb! This is a dish that I get every time and I don't get tired of making it. They really pull in the Thai influences with this dish, because the chicken is cooked to perfection. I am very impressed at how well they cook the chicken in this dish. The flavors of the chicken, garlic, bamboo shoots, shitake mushrooms, basil and scallions are in perfect harmony in this dish. It really sings. Get this one! Filet Mignon Luc Lac - A Vietnamese influence dish very similar to the shaking beef dish you can find in most vietnamese restaurants. The meat is prepared very well and the flavor is excellent. Crispy tofu in Mandarin Sauce - Wonderful! This dish consists of fried tofu tossed in a spicy mandarin sauce. It has a great mouth feel with the contrasting textures and flavors of the tofu being sweet, spicy, crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside. I order this one a lot too. Veggie Delight - A nice sauteed vegetable dish with a nice delicate flavor. Salty Fish Fried Rice - I try to get this everywhere I go as a gauge of the chef's skill, because I like this dish a lot and Ginger Cafe does a good job, they do it right here with just enough salty fish to get the nice fishy, salty punch it needs every few bites. Get this dish only if you like salty fish, because the taste and smell are very pungent. You've been warned (this is a good and bad thing depending on how you look at it). Red Bean Mango Shots - YES! I never leave without ordering this. Its a shot glass with Longan, red bean, mango and whipped cream. The light cooling flavor of the longan, with the thicker, richer red bean sweetness blends very nicely with the fragrant tropical sweetness of the mango. You top that with some fluffy whipped cream and its like eating firecracker of different sweetnesses. If you're in the area and have a hankering of asian food, try Ginger Cafe and try out my recommendations especially if its your first time. If you're lucky you will see me there too. Happy eating!
(4)Jason F.
Regarding price, I did not think the prices were too high with respect to the portion sizes and food quality. They currently have an offer where you get a free beer or wine selection if you order an appetizer before 6. We ordered: Shrimp & Calamari on Fried Crackers (appetizer): 6 pieces, pretty good except the cracker had a slight sweet taste that didn't go well with the dish. For the kids we ordered a wide noodle dish with asparagus + broccoli (not on the menu) and they loved it. Quality of the chicken and broccoli was great. Chardonnay Mushrooms: I really like the concept and they were cooked just right (dish takes longer than other dishes), but the sauce was bad. It was kind of a mashup between a thick hot and sour soup plus sweet and sour sauce. I have no idea why the word "Chardonnay" appears in the name -- not that I would want a Chardonnay sauce, but the dish had no resemblance to Chardonnay in the slightest. Unfortunately, that kind of ruined the dish. I hope they experiment and improve on the sauce. Eggplant Tofu: Excellent -- sauce and flavor were perfect. Very generous portion, and it included green beans that were cooked perfectly. Overall, I really like the menu, selection, and they have a full bar. It's kid friendly, but not noisy. The service is okay, and decore is nice. There are a lot of things on the menu I'd like to try, but since it's a little pricey (but worth it), it will take some time to go through it.
(4)jas k.
Great Chinese food, very very nice ambience and friendly staff. OK FOOD......fried tilapia with chili and garlic was mouth blowing :) (ooops watering) . also, veggie fried rice and chicken hot and sour soup was soo tasty. Even our 2 year old ate well and liked sitting here....so all in all a very pleasant experience. i would highly recommend this place as a great alternative to pf changs and also folks from india will love this place as it will remind of the better chinese restaurants back home.
(5)Rocker K.
This place looks small on the outside but it's bigger than it looks. The interior is nice and most of the food is good. Also, the service is fairly good too. My friend Tina told me about this place and I remembered it from a elite yelp event from last year. They serve dim sum all day so I had to try that since I love dim sum. I got something with shrimp in it and Tina got lobster dim sun. The outside was too starchy. Tina agreed that it was too starchy. I got the lunch special which comes with soup of the day which was hot and sour soup. I think it was less than $10.00. For the entree, I got the spicy crispy tofu. It came with rice and the portion was just right, not too big, but not too small. I liked that. For dessert, we got the porcupine dim sum. No, real porcupine wasn't in it. I'm not into eating stuff that most people in America wouldn't eat. It's called that since it's a shaped like a porcupine and has custard in it. I had it at the yelp elite event and liked it. Tina thought it was cute and liked it too. I think I paid $4.00 for three of those. The food is Asian fusion I think. I dislike most fusion food, but the food here was mostly good. The seafood soup they had looks good. There are pictures of most items that's on the menu so you can get a good idea of what you're going to get. Also, they have lots of differnt kinds of exotic looking cocktails. This location is in a strip mall and parking is plentiful. I'm sure that I'll be back to try more of their stuff in the future.
(4)Alariza N.
My friends at work and I absolutely adore coming here during happy hour! I am a huge fan of their $4 maitais and margaritas during happy hour. They also have this amazing menu during that time where you can get an appetizer that comes with a glass of wine or a glass of beer. I'm a huge fan of their entire happy hour menu. I sadly have never been here during regular business hours, but I can tell you, if you've had a hard day at the office, like many of my girlfriends and I have, this is a great place to unwind and have a few laughs after work. I do wish the staff would be a bit quicker at taking your order. I feel like because its happy hour, they aren't as quick at getting to your table. That's only mine and my friends opinion. Other than that, the prices are very reasonable and the food is very tasty. The Maitai is my favorite cocktail on the menu: very strong, yet tasty! I highly recommend them for their Happy hour!!!! :)
(4)Thomas C.
Best of luck to other customers. I stand firm with my first comment prior to the update. I received a quick apology with an invitation to go back from the manager through a Yelp message, but weeks have gone by and I have not received what Tuyen had mentioned. At this point it wouldn't matter. There are plenty of other restaurants which are tried and true for our company gatherings. Thank you. UPDATE: Tuyen C, owner/manager of Ginger Cafe had taken quick response to the matter I had stated below and takes full responsibility of what happened. He had asked for my mailing address for an offer to visit Ginger Cafe (398 W. El Camino, Sunnyvale) to give it another chance. I will bring a special guest with me in the near future and we will update this post afterwards. Thank you Ginger Cafe. Where should I start? I been here before and recalled a garlic chicken dish and the waitress with BRIGHT RED lipstick, the only one there who stood out, told me that she's been there for a while an had no clue what I was talking about. Her response should of been, "We don't have that dish right now, but let me check to see if we can make it for you or ask "THE CHEF." Her tone and posture showed as if I was making that dish up and that I did not know what I was talking about. She was waitressing multiple tables and I noticed her staring into space often when we needed her help. There was a nice waitress, the shorter asian girl, and she was nice enough to check on our table and ask if we needed to box p our left overs. Then the org waitress came back and just handed our check and did not ask if we wanted dessert. This is the reason for 3 stars and if the owner is reading this, please train the waitress. I try new places to bring my work related meetings to - this place would of been a great place except for that one experience and that's all it takes.
(3)Sean Y.
Good service, very nice location, good food. Price is reasonable as well. Dishes were not unique or distinctly flavorful, but I won't hesitate to stop in for a good meal (price is right, good service & ambiance).
(4)Paulette L.
Second time coming here - first was dinner, today was lunch. Dinner was pricey, lunch wasn't too bad. We came well after the lunch rush, around 2pm, and it was Sunday. We were the 2nd table they were serving, so got prompt service. Ambiance - great decor, okay service, kinda small, but cozy. We ordered: - Steamed pork buns (3): yummy, piping hot, fluffy, not too saucy. - Shrimp dumpling, Ha Gai i think...? (3): big shrimp inside, pretty good. I like that when you bite into it, juice doesn't squirt out. - Sweet & sour pork lunch special. Comes with soup and rice. Soup was pretty good, very "egg-y". Pork was very tasty and lean, again not too saucy or sweet, could use more bell peppers though. Decent sized portion, at least for one person. We split though, and it was just right. - Sesame balls: my FAVORITE. There were 6 bite sized pieces, did not taste greasy at all. Hard to find good sesame balls - I have finally found my favorite. Why the 3 stars? Well the prices aren't exactly cheap for dim sum, but considering it's a little Americanized, what can you expect I guess. Just feels like I'm paying for the decor versus the food and service. My water never got filled, so I ended up drinking my hub's water too (I'm a thirsty preggo!). Overall, a better deal for lunch. But then again, hubs and I don't eat very much so don't get your hopes up - the portions are a little on the small side. We'll probably come back, now that we know what to order.
(3)Julian M.
Coworkers and I came here for a dim sum lunch. It wasn't bad--it just wasn't particularly great when there are so many dim sum places in the area. Thick skins, moderate selection. The porcupine pineapple buns are awesome, though. Not to be missed!
(2)Allison D.
This place is not bad but don't come here expecting authentic Chinese food. The waiters and cooks are everything but Asian. For the most part the food is good. They have lunch specials that are pretty affordable. The appetizers were pretty good too but it was a little expensive for 4 potstickers! The restaurant itself is pretty nice.. Very clean and modern looking.. Almost like a smaller PF Changs.. Same kind of Asian fusion food offering as well.
(3)Ann H.
Food is good and I really like the space. The apps are the way to go. Service could be a little friendlier but I would come back. Potato Beef plate was tasty.
(4)Trying T.
This is normally a default place for me when having lunch with colleagues from out of the country. They all seemed to like the ambiance and of course the asian food (ie. little plates (aka dimsum) was nice prepared and I have to admit that it taste pretty good. The lobster dimsum, the sea bass, lettuce chicken cups, and mushu chicken was worth ordering.
(4)Tetsu N.
Today, I grabbed Akemi, Cindy N., and Michael C. for a lunch and because we wanted to try something new, Akemi mentioned she had seen Ginger Cafe a few times and that she had been meaning to try it. I quick look on Yelp showed a widely disparate set of reviews, so we decided to see for ourselves. The food was Asian Fusion. And the dishes were interesting creations. To me, this place is a 2.5. Why? For one simple reason: the only though left in my mind when leaving was....Meh, I've had better. Does that mean I wouldn't go here again? If there's a group thing here, I'd go no problem, but if it's my choice, there is a pretty decent list of other restaurants in the area I'd choose above this one. It's not the lack of authenticity that lowers the star rating. Frankly, it just didn't have any dishes that stood out. Some of the dishes were cute and interesting, but the taste just didn't excite me. The location. It's easy to get to, but kind of hidden, so it's not the kind of place you would stumble upon. Once inside, the place is very bright and clean, if slightly claustrophobic, even though there's plenty of seating and space aplenty to get around. There's also a bar area. I don't know if they serve have a full bar, but I'd guess so. We sat in a curved u shaped booth and ordered some interesting looking dishes. First off, some dim sum: - Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf This wasn't bad, not bad at all. But there was nothing about it that particularly stood out, and it really wasn't as sticky as I usually expect it to be. - Pan Fried Blue Crab Dumpling Now, this was an interesting dish. When I think dumpling, I think thick and round or thick and oblong or semi-thick and crescent shaped. I don't think super thin, which this was. But that's just the size and dimensions....taste-wise, it wasn't bad at all. Crispy on the outside and ncie and soft on the inside. And the taste of crab was very clear, not hidden in other tastes like you sometimes get with crab mixed dishes. - Porcupine Custard Bun Now here was a cool dish. If Ginger Cafe was closer, I might just order this and tea for a real coffee shop style snack. The baked and nicely crusted outer skin of the bun was beautifully glossy and smooth, with finely cut "spikes" in the skin that lifted up during the baking process giving the porcupine look. tiny sesame seeds were placed just so, with the pointy end facing backwards and a little up to really give a sense of cute little eyes. Clearly, a lot of care went into the visual representation of this little dish, and I was wholly impressed with it. What also struck me was the consistency of care in detail for both pieces that came with the order. Taste-wise, it has a thick and rick center with a perhaps overly thickened custard. A lighter filling would have been preferred for my tastes, but all in all, this is a dish to be proud of. - Pot Sticker. Unlike Japanese style potstickers, these had a crusty skin. Though pan fried, I think the skin used had more oil than normal and frankly looked almost deep fried. It was good though. Nothing to complain about. - Peking Duck Tasted like......peking duck. The visual presentation didn't have as much care as some other restaurant's versions of the same dish, but there wasn't anything particular wrong with this version. - Eggplant Tofu Again, here, there was nothing wrong with the dish, the garlic sauce wasn't too garlicky (is that even a word??), and that's about all I really have to say about it....Oh yes, it was a touch on the spicy side. Which I like, but won't be a good fit for everyone. If you want mild, I think you can just ask them to dial back the spices a bit. And that's all we had. Apart from the Porcupine Custard Bun, all other dishes I really could have done without. Oh yes, one other annoyance. Just because this is an Asian Fusion restaurant, doesn't mean that it's soooo Westernized that they should charge $2.50 for tea....I mean....it's tea! Most places charge $0.00 for jasmine, green, or oolong tea. How annoying.... All in all, for what we got, we paid $17.50 a person. That alone drops the star rating when the food is of this quality. If they put as much care into all their dishes as they put into the porcupine custard bun, I bet business would pick up for them! Best of luck Ginger Cafe, I'm sure fate will bring me to your place again one day, and I hope by then your main dishes get a light freshening. So close, just another step or two and I'll be a fan.
(2)Sankaran S.
Good quantity and pretty good variety and taste. Would go again
(4)Kamal P.
This place was way nicer than I expected based on its outside appearance and the name, the interior was very classy and contemporary. As a vegetarian, I loved the food, and even my friend, who eats meat, really enjoyed all the vegetarian food. The minced vegetable lettuce wraps were awesome, as was the kung pao veggie chicken.
(4)Amy B.
I love this place! Their food was a HUGE hit at our wedding in Berkeley, where they catered. Their staff was incredibly professional, with really high standards, but still friendly. Bo (Manager) and Tuyen (Kitchen Manager) were great to work with. We found out our event space's kitchen area didn't allow any gas cooking, so these guys set up on the SIDEWALK across the street and ran the food into the venue. And it was still delicious and hot. Anytime we're in Sunnyvale, we're going to Ginger Cafe.
(5)Rick S.
I'll keep this relatively short and sweet... as it's been 3 weeks since I tried this place. But you know what? I really liked Ginger Cafe. Having eaten at Fu-kee Restaurant many, many times (off of Bernal in South San Jose) where the food is QUITE good for a quasi-fast-food restaurant... we kept hearing about other, slightly more upscale restaurants the owners run -- the two Ginger Cafes (this one in Sunnyvale; and they have another in Gilroy, which is actually closer to where I live-- so I will try that as well soon). The cool thing about Ginger Cafe/Sunnyvale (and I assume the Gilroy location will be the same) that in a world of cookie cutter eating establishments, GC does just enough to feel unique.. without being too pretentious. It also doesn't try to be too many things to too many people. Yet, the Asian-fusion flair allows it to be more than just a Chinese, a Vietnamese, a Japanese, or a Korean restaurant. It takes the better parts from several culinary cultures... and melds them quite well into a very nice, very tasty menu (hence the word "fusion", eh?) But it goes even further... for it does away with the fairly typical, understated look of many Asian eateries (you know, clean, white table-clothed venues with a bit of cultural arts scattered about). At Ginger, the decor makes a statement... and a rather GOOD one at that. You have to take notice of it while in the dining area; and you feel good being part of it. Quite comfortable. You feel like you're dining in a place where the owners have taken great care working on the meals served and the comfort, attractiveness and design of where you eat this good food. Cute even how they offer up these fun "specialty" cocktails, like you're on a mini-vacation somewhere. I will definitely be back... well, probably back to the one in Gilroy, since it may be closer. But other restaurants should take note of this successful formula. The food was very good, I felt like I was eating somewhere very unique, the service was very good... and I wasn't hit over the head with a huge bill in the end. Gong xi ! Omedetou! Selamat! Chuk ha hae! Kam sà -daeng kwaam yin-dee ! and.. Mazel Tov!
(4)Charlene M.
We've been here several times over the years. The ambiance is nice, the service is good and the food is tasty. Some of the dishes we tried were seafood chow mein, shrimp with walnuts and spring rolls. We once had pork medallions that were out of this world. However, to our disappointment, the next time we ordered it, it was not nearly as good. Oh well. They have interesting Asian decor and ambiance appropriate for a quiet dinner out. Would definitely go there again.
(4)Lily R.
Ehhh. I have eaten at the Gilroy location and had a better experience there. For some reason the food didn't WOW me this time. What I come here for turned out to be not so good. Lunch for 4 was about $60. (incl tip) Honey Walnut Prawns- C+ Thai Pineapple Rice- B- Chow Mein - C+ Crab and Cream Cheese appetizers- B+ Orange Chicken- C I would rather make a trip out to McCarthy Ranch for more authentic Chinese food. This place was a miss.
(3)Robert N.
A friend convinced me to come here for a date instead of PF Chang across the street... and I'm glad I trusted her judgment. It doesn't look like much from the outside, being the corner space of a strip mall off El Camino, but by the time you get inside you know you're in for a good experience. Nicely decorated, a bit noisy but not as much as that other option. Many good choices... we went with the lemongrass chicken, potato beef, and lettuce wraps, and a small bowl of rice between us. It was more than enough for two people, and if we hadn't been heading for a comedy show afterward, we would have taken the leftovers with us. I'll be going back, definitely... more things to try.
(3)Krystal N.
Really? I don't understand all the good reviews for this place. The food here is mediocre at best and I've been here enough times so it wasn't just a one time flop. The quality of food is not the best and it just doesn't taste very good. And the dim sum items...ughhh I would never come here for dim sum. The atmosphere and service is alright but I just wish their food was better.
(2)Nisha S.
This is an absolutely AMAZING restaurant! First of all, they have Dim Sum ALL DAY! The Shrimp dumplings are to DIE for! Second, they have a lot of dishes catered to vegetarians ranging from veggies to fake meat. However, I absolutely love meat and they have a good selection of meat dishes as well. Although the well known P.F. Chang's is across the street, you will have much better, tastier, and cheaper food at Ginger Cafe. I have been there multiple times and cannot remember a dish that I did not love!
(5)A C.
I ate dinner here recently. Decor is very clean and artistic. Decent restaurant for a date. Asian food, not Chinese food exclusively. The price range of main plates is roughly ~$20-30. Easy to find and ample parking on a weeknight. Our waitress seemed inexperienced and slow. Although there were only 3 tables occupied, she was either nowhere to be found or she was using the restaurant computer for a really long time. She should have checked on us more often. Luckily, there were other people regularly filling our water glasses. So, other staff was good. We ordered: -Tamarind Seafood Hot Pot: Tasty but a little too spicy for me (btw, I usually don't like spicy food). If I could tolerate the spiciness then I would probably order this. The soup base and the catfish were good. -Peking Duck(Half): Somewhat good. Because I have had very delicious and authentic Peking Duck before, it is hard not to compare the Chinese authentic traditional dish to this dish. It was well-made, but I'm sure no Chinese food lover would prefer this over really good quality roast duck. Although i enjoyed this dish, it just wasn't something that I'd ever crave. Good, but not the best. -Vegetarian Chicken Crispy Tofu: First of all, I'm a meat eater through and through (unfortunately for my health). And, I don't like tofu. I don't know why, but I never liked tofu. However, in order to always try new things if possible, I tried a sampling of this dish. yes, this is good. Tofu tasted like tofu. The crispiness on the outside was interesting and good. The toppings on tofu were DELICIOUS! Really really good. We were all eating it up. I loved it. I might return to this place, but I'm not sure. All they need to do is get me hooked on one dish and I'd return.
(3)Brendan B.
The service was amazing. The company up in Silicon Valley I had a job interview with was reimbursing me for my meals while I was up there, but only if I had an itemized receipt. I lost the receipt while traveling back home. I called up the restaurant, and the hostess was nice enough to scan and email me the receipt when I got home. That's $24 that just went back into my pocket. Also get the scallop puffs. It's ooey gooey goodness in a thicker than normal wonton wrapper.
(5)Michael C.
Is this really supposed to be fusion? Everything in the restaurant made it look really Chinese. Well... at least Shanghai when Westerners started coming over, so maybe that's how it's fusion. If you look at Tetsu N's review, the food that we had, at least to me, was pretty much Chinese food, and for the most part, pretty mediocre Chinese food. When I think of medicore Chinese food that's been deemed as "fusion", I usually think PF Chang's. That's exactly what I thought of the food here. In fact, the only thing "fusion" about this place to me was that the waitstaff was primarily hispanic, and I am guessing so was the kitchen staff, but they were preparing and serving Chinese food. Hmm... I guess it's Mexican-Chinese fusion?
(2)Steve S.
The first impression when you walk in is "Wow, the outside looks so nondescript, how could the inside look this nice?" Very nice décor. I've been here a half dozen times, and would like to loudly proclaim their Crispy Tofu in Mandarin Sauce to be the best tofu dish in the Bay Area! Love it! It's spicy, and coworkers may not want to talk to you afterwards unless you furiously brush your teeth, but it's worth it! The tofu doesn't do as well when you try to carry it out. It turns into a soggy mess within 30 minutes. Featuring dishes from the Asian Pacific Rim, Ginger Café offers much more variety and quality than the P.F. Chang's across the street. Definitely worth a try!
(4)Michelle H.
Rating: 3.5 stars This place is almost a 4 star in my book, but wasn't quite there. Don't get me wrong though, this place was very good! This is what we had: -soft shell crabs imperial rolls (these were yummy!) -sea bass (cooked just right and flavored well, yet not too overpowering) -pad thai (good, but I find this dish hard to mess up) -luc lac beef (mom and hubby loved this dish) -thai curry (probably my favorite dish) -fried banana (this was good but could use some work. the banana was in an eggroll wrap with coconut ice cream. usually deep fried in a different batter and served with vanilla ice cream) All portions were generous and we left quite satisfied. Service wasn't anything outstanding. Cool thing about this place is it could be a good date place or a simple casual place. I'd come back again.
(3)Care B.
Ate here a month ago and really enjoyed the food. I had takeout, so I can't speak of the service when you eat-in. I was told some dishes were really good and some were just okay, so I stuck to the ones that was recommended to me. The potstickers, chow mein, mu shu pork, and best of all, the beef were all delicious. It's a bit pricier Chinese food, but I thought they gave a fair amount, except the potstickers. I'd come and eat here again anytime.
(4)L. E.
Don't be fooled by those delicious-looking pictures! Not as good as it looks! Alcohol drinks: Lame! Eggrolls: Oily! Peking duck: Dry, gamey, gross! & it does NOT go w/Tortillas! Ordered 2 more items & just wanna puke! Our 1st & definitely our last! Note to all: "Asian Fusion" means they're "Confused" + we're the ONLY Asian customers there, so, THAT'S A BAD SIGN! :-(l
(1)Andy C.
I met up with a friend for dinner here. I was a bit weary of the food here because it's kind of expensive, and usually I am not too fond of fusion places partly because the food isn't authentic; sometimes, even worse, is the taste is just weird. I had the Xo Fried Rice and my friend had, I think, the Tamarind Seafood Soup. The fried rice was okay. It was greasy and did not have a lot of flavor, but I guess the ingredients were good. The seafood soup, on the other hand, was excellent. Good amount of food; good bland of spicy and sweet taste. Again, the ingredients were good. I guess the extra cost goes to the nicer ambience and better ingredients.
(3)Rak P.
Service and Food is EXCELLENT here! I especially love the Veggie Chow mein here, one of the BEST chow mein dishes i've ever tasted! This place is nice, clean, has wonderful decor, and super-friendly people serving you.
(5)Pamela D.
The place is really nice and the decor can keep you staring for days. Came here for a b-day party. -Great service -Good food ( had chili chicken, Mongolian beef, & cream cheese banana pie. It was all pretty tasty -Good amount of food ( You can easily share an item with someone and get some rice if you both agree on the same things. -Looks pretty clean p.s. I ordered the Zombie drink, only $7, and it was loaded with rum... moneys worth right there!
(5)Janelle H.
This place is pretty decent and really good for take out. I usually get the XO fried rice, it's always been really good and tasty. I've also tried the Mandarin crispy tofu, pretty good, although sometimes it isn't as crispy as I would like. Really good for dinner and groups. The style of the restaurant is neat and the customer service has always been great. Oh and try the porcupine buns! Tasty and cute!
(4)yelp j.
First time visit gave me a positive impression. Nice selection of fusion items. I tried a couple chicken dishes for lunch. (Orange/Chili). Very good. I like the environment. Its not a 'mom/pop' type place so couple bucks more but it tasted like it. Worth a visit again.
(4)L L.
I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant that I stumbled upon en route to a different restaurant. We took a look at the menu and decided to try this restaurant instead. Decor: Modern, clean, and much nicer than your average Chinese restaurant. Service: Attentive and prompt The food: Sizzling rice soup: light clear broth with good flavors Orange beef: husband thought there was too much sauce and a bit soggy Vegetarian ginger "chicken": this was my favorite. It had plenty of ginger and a delicious sauce. Overall, food was good but very salty as both of us were so thirsty after our meals. I would go back to try some of the dim sum.
(4)sherry g.
The deco is definitely trendy in Asian way, so is the plating. The food is mainly westernized Thai and Chinese style, the taste is decent, but not for real Asian taste buds. Oh, the porcupine buns are really cute and yummy though.
(3)C M.
1 star for service. I came here today feeling in the mood for chinese. The waitress was so rude! When i asked if i could substitute the spicy soup for something else because I can't handle spicy food she just said "no". and i was like well, i can't eat that so isn't there anything you can do? "NO". OK lady, well can you at least GO ASK someone? She went to ask and came back saying she could substitute fried rice. That shit sucked. and also the salad sucked. The only thing that was good was the dim sum i ordered, pork buns. Friend's dish was ok too, veggies and shrimp-can't really mess that up. 1 star for service, 3 stars for food.
(1)Anna V.
This place is amazin! I think it's over looked because PF Changs steals its thunder. My favorites are the mango chicken, curry chicken, the lettuce cups, the wor won ton soup, and bok choy shrimp dumplings.
(4)S K.
I tried this place one late afternoon. The menu has a variety of dishes. The ambience is pretty cool with high walls with traditional decorations. The service was pretty quick and friendly. Veggie lettuce cups - I am a great fan of PF Chang's lettuce cups, but believe me these are much tastier. The quantity was pretty good too. Veggie Kun Pao Chicken: very well done with spicy sauce. Sesame balls : not very impressed as they were very chewy. I plan to come here again to try the other items on the menu.
(4)Kelvin Y.
Food was moderate and service could have been better. Upon coming in, it seemed all the servers were sitting in the front at the bar just chillin' around. They did sit us fairly quickly, but to keep this place a bit more profesional, for charging that much I think they should have paid a bit more attention to first impressions. Our server did not did not seem to know all the food too well so I pretty much went by the pictures on the front of the menu. Perhaps me being asian, I definately feel I've had better especially weighted with the price they charge. One dish I definately do not recommend trying is the soft shell crab. It had all these fried flakes that made me want to choke. I accidentally choked twice by inhaling the flakes. Not exactly a place I'd recommend, but a possible revisit can be possible if others in my party wants to try... One of those places.
(2)Edessa P.
I like this place! the atmosphere is really nice. Full bar. The orange chicken was good!
(4)Smileey F.
i always enjoy my encounters with ginger cafe. Such a cozy feel and the food is uniquely prepared and served. The price is reasonable for the quality you recieve. The decor within is welcoming and is nice to sit in with a date or friends to relax and even drink. I really like the dim sum here so i say holla for some yummyness at ginger cafe.
(5)Jenny T.
My family and I had dinner here last night for my birthday. I found the restaurant through Yelp reviews and I was very impressed with everything! The main reason I chose this place was because they serve dim sum off the menu all day. We arrived at 6pm (happy hour is 3-6pm) and the waiter offered us the happy hour menu and told us there was no rush, which is unusual for most restaurants since most have strict cut off times. We ordered our whole dinner off the dim sum happy hour menu...2 orders of this...3 orders of that...before you knew it our table was packed with delicious food! There is also a section of the happy hour menu you get a free glass of wine or beer with certain plates...bonus! All the food was great and we had fast and friendly service. For 4 adults and 1 child our bill was $100....pretty good! And we had boxes of leftovers! I will definitely return in the future when I have another dim sum craving.
(5)Jackie D.
it's more of a 1.5 stars. i'm being nice. i went with coworkers/friends this includes marlyn a. here. we didn't know what to get to sent the server away. he never came back. we had to track him down! we ordered drinks and lots of food. the sad part is that 2 of our orders didn't com. we only asked for one of those two orders to come. the lame part? then added the dish they didn't bring on the bill. one server even dropped our food on the floor and still asked if we wanted it. it was an order of dumplings. 4 dumplings come in an order. we only ate 1. so yea, i think we would have wanted that. they also said they'd charge us partially for the order but then later took the order off entirely. i really wasn't a fan of anything there. the only good thing were the porcupine buns and even that is too dry. maybe save a trip and not come here again. food is so-so and service is horrible.
(2)Alexander E.
I've been here a few times and I always left with a positive experience. Service was excellent, the food was great and decently priced.
(4)Ruben G.
i work up Mathilda from this joint, and actually remember it getting built. i finally was taken there by a co-worker and was fairy impressed. In my couple visits, i've been able to have string bean chicken, orange chicken, chow fun, and sweet & sour pork. All of them were really good and not super greasy like some other chinese restaurants. string bean chicken is done great.. chicken isn't overcooked, and the green beans are cooked al dente and are crunchy and flavorful. yum! the orange chicken and sweet & sour pork are good. plenty of sauce and they give you a good amount of chicken. big fan here!
(4)Margaret T.
5 stars for being my favorite Chinese restaurant, hands down. I've been here several times and the service and food have never disappointed me. I typically get the sizzling rice soup and orange beef which are both amazing. You typically see the orange chicken at places like Panda Express so the orange beef is a wonderful little spinoff. Something I recently discovered was the crispy tofu in mandarin sauce. The second I took a bite, it blew my mind. Do yourself a favor and the next time you're waiting for a table at PF Changs, go across the street and grab a table at Ginger Cafe. Yum yum
(5)Ken F.
I can sort of describe this as the Southeast Asian version of PF Chang's...and probably a step less expensive. I usually go home hungry after eating at a Thai restuarant, but this place doesn't disappoint as their portion size is adequate. We first ordered a dim-sum sampler. Many of the offerings were familiar if you eat a lot of dim-sum, but perhaps a step up in quality and spice. But you can probably try some other appetizer if you are familiar with (Cantonese) dim sum. For entrees, we ordered: Carmelized Black Cod - excellent! Cooked and seasoned just right with generous portions. We almost thought we were eating Sea Bass. Lemon Grass Chicken - also excellent, but perhaps a tad on the salty side with excess pepper (it might have been the lemon grass that caused this)...if you eat this with rice it should be okay. Buddha's Feast (tofu and vegetables): tasty and fresh, but nothing remarkable...our required vegetable dish. The Princess Tofu at Layang Layang is far better. Pineapple Fried Rice: also tasty and fresh. They didn't serve it in a pineapple shell like most Thai restaurants do, but then again, it seemed to cost less than the equivalent dish that is served in a pineapple shell. Food presentation for the above is good to very good. The place itself is very clean and you can probably entertain business clients and relatives here. Service is not bad and they frequently check to make sure everything is okay. Price is on par with most Thai restaurants (though this is not billed as a Thai restaurant)...but with the added benefit of larger portions. No food served in dainty little rice bowls here.
(4)Kay F.
Great for parties!! Dawn, I believe her name is, is a sweetheart!!! I go here all the time with my parents and I always leave stuffed. I will let you explore the menu, because being vegetarian, there is a lot to die for here on the menu! YUMMY DESSERTS TOO!!! Don't forget!
(5)Eric C.
I had wanted to try Ginger Cafe for a few years but something always seemed to interfere. But last night I had a chance to try it and it was fantastic. I made reservations at opentable.com however I did not really need them since there was no wait and plenty of seating when I arrived. For the appetizer, I ordered the soft shell crab spring rolls which you can see on their online menu. It came with a brown sauce which complimented it. For the main course, we ordered potato beef and caramelized garlic prawn. The potato beef was my favorite and it was great. The potatoes were cooked well as was the beef and they had some sort of pepper sauce. The prawn were excellent also and just be careful of the hot chilis in the dish. We actually could not finish it all and took half of the potato beef home. I saw many items that I will be trying in futures visits with friends and family.
(4)Madhulika G.
I quite like the food at Ginger Cafe .. Being a vegetarian they have some really tasty options... Is they had better service i would rate it a notch higher.... !
(3)Dennis O.
This place is more like an asian fusion restaurant so I dont understand why the other reviewers are expecting authentic asian food. This isn't a chinese restaurant, its a 'fusion' restaurant. You dont expect authentic Italian food from Pizza my heart right?? The decor is amazing, the ambiance is great and this is a great place to bring a date. Check out the Porcupine Custard. Its fried bread with yellow bean custard inside shaped like a porcupine with spikes shaped from the bread. Artsy. Why are you guys getting takeouts from a restaurant that you've never been to?
(4)Chris E.
I'm not going to get hung up on the "authentic" threads; I liked the place for what it was, Americanized Asian Food. Think PF Chiang, Mandarin Gourmet, etc. The potato beef was simple and I enjoyed it with some rice. A friend ordered one of the chicken dishes and wasn't too happy with how the meats were cooked (the rubbery consistency method). The layout and decor were nice. Parking sucked. If you were desperate, I suppose you could park at Las Palmas.
(3)Kolapo O.
Ginger Cafe? This place really isn't very good. We had a pork dish that was really bland. The drinks were alright though but there are better places to eat. I only came here for the Opentable bonus points but wasn't really worth it.
(2)Coco L.
it's a small little place.. chinese food with fusion price and decent service - lamb with steamed bun - an interesting variation of peking duck; but quite salty -orange chicken - decent and not too heavily bread coating - Crispy tofu in Mandarin sauce - the crispy tofu is good, the sauce is salty side
(3)Mary C.
Ginger Cafe is participating in the Done Out for Meals on Wheels on October 4, 2011. Thank you for helping to fight senior hunger!!
(5)S B.
I had eaten lunch here about a year ago and liked the food then. Went for dinner last night - BAD! First - it is way too expensive for dinner, second the food sucks! We ordered the Chili Chicken and Salt and pepper prawns. Both came out like deep fried rolled in a sauce - pretty dry no sauce. To top it - the chef literally put lots of raw crushed garlic on each dish - it was awful (this coming from a person who loves garlic and spice). I love garlic when it is cooked - not just poured over my food. They should rename this place Garlic cafe... Not coming back here - PF Changs would have been better than this place.
(1)C W.
What an odd place. They had a menu posted outside so we ordered takeaway from the menu. They then told us that we would have to pay more as the menu that they had both outside and inside was an old one... I explained that this was illegal i.e. to advertise one price then charge another. They got very snotty and just said to pay the higher price or don't get the food. We paid the higher price as we were interested in trying the food. The food was bland and way overpriced... The service, for a take away, was unintelligent, scattered and rude. We will not be going here again... As another reviewer said, PF Changs is accross the road - we will go there instead!
(1)Kathleen M.
"Whoa," I thought as I opened the door, "It's PF Chang's lite!" Indeed, despite the modest rock wall exterior, the place is all gussied up inside with your usual PF Chang's giant Buddhas. (Except in this case they don't have room for the whole Buddha so there's a bunch of decapitated Buddha heads.) They even have a mini PF Chang's giant stone horse. Ginger Cafe is also across the street from PF Chang's so if you have a long wait at Changers you know where to go. The lunch specials ($7-$8) start with soup. Ours was a tom yum soup with ground meat (not sure what kind) and so much oil we barely touched it. One of our entrees was the Basil Chicken. Although the ingredients were good - white meat chicken, mushrooms, green onions, celery, carrots, bamboo shoots, Thai basil - the sauce was all wrong. It was a odd tasting yet subtle fish sauce that didn't compliment the basil at all. Halfway through our meal we put the Basil Chicken aside and focused on our winner of a dish, the Dry Sauteed String Bean Chicken. Although it suffered from too much oil (a common theme), there were loads of fresh string beans and nice white meat chicken. The sauce (other than the oil) was great and hoisin-y. I'd definitely go back for that. We were unimpressed by the service. We didn't see the server all that often. As a result the husband asked the busser (instead of the server) what meat was in the soup. He said he didn't know and didn't bother to go ask either. He did come by to fill our water glasses every 5 minutes though. Assigning stars to this place is tricky. I'd give 2 stars for the soup, 2 stars for the Basil Chicken, and 4 stars to the Dry Sauteed String Beans (if they made it with less oil I'd give it 5 stars). So that equals 3, even though I can't wait to try it again. Goal: To one day sit at the middle booth. It looks awesome. UPDATE: Got everything with less oil. Much better. The Kung Pao Chicken was really good (even though the meat was on the verge of being slightly sketch). The Potato Beef wasn't quite as good, and was a bit too peppery. UPDATE 2: Eggplant in Garlic Sauce is good, though the sauce is a little too sweet and applied with a heavy hand. The Mango Coconut Chicken tastes much better than in looks. I'm still ordering everything low salt, low oil which I think is the way to go.
(5)Cindy N.
I had been wanting to try this place because my mom went here a few weeks ago and said it was good. She and I usually see eye to eye in what is good and not so good, but not this time. Perhaps we ordered wrong? I agree with pretty much everything Tetsu and Michael C. had to say about this place. The dishes we tried were okay, but nothing special or terribly unique. I thought $17.50 for what we got was really overpriced considering I could get the same thing, but tastier and more of it for about the same price if I went to a regular Chinese restaurant. I think fusion is a misnomer. I think they say fusion because there are dishes from different parts of Asia, but to me fusion is when you mix different flavors from different regions into one dish. The service was also pretty slow which made a mediocre that much less impressive.
(2)Heidi M.
I come here with my family all the time. DELICIOUS FOOD. I always order the catfish, and the eggplant tofu. I've tried many of the stir fry's and vegetable dishes, they're all delicious. I enjoy the Dim Sum appetizer platter as well. One of my favorite restaurants!
(5)Kaj HeGe H.
A good lunch menu, good service, and easy location. I will be back.
(4)Scott B.
* - pretty-good dim sum ALL DAY LONG ** - better tasting food than PF Chang's (right across the street) *** - way better parking that PF Chang's ****- cheaper, faster, and friendlier than PF Chang's slight minuses: mixed drinks and desserts are not amazing
(4)Alexander O.
Really good food but a little bit overpriced. This is asian fusion with a little bit of everything. It's nice and quick and clean. This is a good place to go to, but nothing really separates it from other fusion places. If you're in the area do stop by, but it's not worth a long drive.
(4)Anya R.
This is my go to place when I'm feeling like Dim Sum after the morning time. They have this appetizer dim sum sampler thats really good! Parking is good and I have never had to wait for a table. They do have an easy reservation area on their website- they use Open Table. Its funny how this place is right across the street from PF Changs. Its like.. which Asian Fusion place do I want to go to today.. eennie meenie minue moe! Every time I come its fun to do it family style so everyone can have a taste of the other one's food. Its not authentic by any means but there is a very good variety and its tasty! Can't go wrong with that!
(5)Emily H.
Good food at great price! Came here with my coworkers and tried their lunch plate spicy chicken with fried rice. Delicious and enough for 2 meals. We also tried their filet mignon which melts in your mouth! Definitely coming back here!
(4)Anng S.
Meh. It's okay. I had some dim sums and well AVOID the Fresh Vietnamese Rolls like the plague! For 6 bucks I'm expecting something semi decent. Chow fun is alright, but they obviously went a little too bean sprout crazy. The decor is cute and my server was nice. Overall, it wouldn't be my first choice to hit up, but all in all its just "meh"
(3)Peter C.
Spicy Chicken with root beer in a bottle, my regular order! Potato beef taste good too, my second choice! Mango chicken, when I like to have a change! Nice cozy place. If you get mistreated in the PF Chang's across the street, just walk out of that door and enter this one!
(4)Jay C.
So i drive by this place everyday, and I finally stopped by with a friend. So here are my gripes: the table was dirty ( a big pet peeve ) the waitress had a bad attitude the fried rice was cold! the regular rice was undercooked the dishes was were too salty but the decor was nice -_-;; thats that
(2)Mai T.
Came here one day with a group of friends. The decor was nice and the service was good. We ordered a bunch a food...the two types of crab, seabass, veggies, soup, scallops, fried rice, noodles and some other type of fish. Both crab dishes were not good. From the freezer of course, but the flavors were just gross. Those two plates were probably the least touched. Everything else was just too blah. Our soup never came out either. Never going back here again.
(1)Peter T.
My favorite "Asian Fusion" restaurant. Prices are very reasonable and service is good. I don't even think about going to PF Chang's anymore because I'd rather come here. Orange Beef is awesome and so are a few other dishes like the sizzling rice soup, caramelized prawns. Obviously, this isn't a place for dim sum but if you're coming here for dim sum you probably don't go to authentic Chinese restaurants anyways. Wished they served brown rice too but it's all good.
(5)carol c.
We are frequent diners here. I stepped out of my usual orange chicken rut and ordered steamed seabass with scallions and ginger the other night. It was very flavorful, but the inside was raw and for some reason, the entire dish was oily. Surprised, as it was a steamed fish. I'm going to knock a star off for poor preparation.
(4)Marcus C.
The food is passable, but nothing special. We were a party of 7 on a really slow night, yet the staff still seemed overwhelmed by us. When we asked to order food, the server exclaimed, "What? Right now?" and rushed to get someone else to come to our table. Another server gave us attitude when we let her know that the calamari we'd ordered as an appetizer hadn't arrived halfway through the meal. The boy server was pretty friendly and nice although we did have to ask to have our water re-filled.
(3)Albert Y.
We stopped in for lunch today and were a bit surprised to be the only people there. We decided to stick it out and try the Dim Sum and a lunch special. We had received two or three full-color, direct mail brochures from Ginger Cafe in the past few months, drooling over the glossy photos of Siu Mai and Har Gow, etc. Service was prompt and cheerful. After taking drink orders (full bar, yay!) our server kindly asked if we had any questions; a nice touch for those of us not exactly sure what we were ordering. We decided on the steamed pork buns, leek dumplings with shrimp, siu mai and the sticky rice rolls. We also tried the "dry chicken & green bean" lunch special. We enjoyed the steamed Dim Sum items immensely. The mixture of leek & shrimp were well balanced and just darned tasty! The siu mai was a bit more intense with pork flavors, but the steamed pork buns were awesome! Sadly, they only come three to an order. We would have ordered more, but we were stuffed after having enjoyed the sticky rice and truly delicious chicken/green bean lunch special with its tangy, sweet/salt flavors and crunchy fresh green beans. We're looking forward to returning to try other interesting items on the menu! The only possible negative was the $32.00 bill for two. It won't keep us from returning, but we won't return as often as we might if the prices were a bit lower. By the looks of things, they won't have a problem doing well. The place was packed (on a Monday) by the time we left.
(4)Whitney B.
Went here for dinner with some friends last night and was pretty impressed. While the restaurant is located in a strip mall, once you walk in you sort of forget about that. The high ceilings and dark wood decor make it seem a little bit more special. My friends suggested we order some dim sum and another dish. We went with the pineapple fried rice (good, with a little bit of a spicy kick), and we ordered 4 of the dim sum (served all day). The only thing we were disappointed with were the Crispy Shrimp Puffs. They weren't bad per se, but a little boring considering the other dim sum we ordered (Siu Mai, Pork Steamed Buns, Porcupine Custard Buns). The porcupine custard buns win the award for cutest thing on the menu. They actually look like little porcupines - they're almost too cute to eat. Almost. This was plenty of food between the 3 of us (we were all very hungry and left feeling full), and ended up being a reasonable price. I will definitely be eating at Ginger Cafe again.
(4)S. L.
I have been here for both lunch and dinner, and I like it. I would rather come here than PF Changs, it is tiny and the staff is very nice. This is an americanized restauarant, so don't come here expecting to get what nana cooks at home for you ok. Walnut Prawn-B Calamari-A Mango Chicken thingy-C Tamarind Prawns-A
(4)Apurva P.
Meh. Pretty much the first thing that comes to mind. The ambiance is pretty decent. Tall ceilings (very) making it look spacious, but the table they make a large group sit at is bad. Its an out-curve, so the person at one end cannot see the person at the other end. Bad for large groups (over 6 or 8). The food: thats where the meh really comes back. Nothing great, really. Tried their Mu Shu, the lettuce wraps, the Spicy Coconut Soup, and their dumplings. The lettuce wraps were probably the best, with the soup coming in a close second. But overall, we ended up trying a variety of entrees, none of which turned out really good. The thai chicken curry was decent though. Turns out when you plan on going "general asian cuisine" with the restaurant, few can pull it off. This one definitely cannot. Oh, and the service - she was friendly, and patient with the large group. Possibly one thing on the plus side for this place.
(3)Raajee M.
Clean neat place i ordered vegetarian Kung pao chicken lunch special..quite tasty Steamed rice quantity was low had order extra, would have been nice if they have a chow mein option instead of rice as well
(4)James K.
One issue I always have when going to a chinese restaurant with my girlfriend are the family style dishes. I always end up overeating b/c there is an abundance of food. It's not always a bad thing but sometimes, it's good health wise to have smaller portions This place eliminates that problem easily b/c they serve individual plates. For example, I had the kung pao chicken which comes with rice and some veggies I believe. The kung pao wasn't too greasy nor was the meal in general. Portions were enough to fill you up but not make you feel 9 months pregnant. The service is very quick and the people are friendly. I had a few sips of a Muy Thai from my girlfriend and it was made accurately.
(5)Lizzie B.
Excellent selection of food, excellent service, excellent atmosphere. I got beef with asparagus... mmmmm! Not the BEST I've had but definitely worthy of coming back again! My friend that ate with me got mango chicken which I kind of wish I had gotten - it was served in this delicious coconut sauce, oh mannnn. My friend also got some Vietnamese iced coffee there. I'm not a big coffee fan but I tasted it and it was pretty damn yummy :) Overall this place is GREAT! Not terribly expensive and a very good selection of dishes.
(4)Dave R.
The dishes are delicious. The presentation is delightful, the decor is beautiful, and the prices are reasonable. I haven't been here too many times, but each time I come I try something different, and I haven't had anything that is not absolutely scrumptious. They serve Asian-fusion dishes with flavors from southeast Asia, Japan, and Vietnam.
(4)Vivian J.
Great food without a long wait like PF changs. Service is really good and menu has chinese food and dim sum. It come with soup in beginning and with steamed rice if you order a dish. Decor is really modern and cute with nice red curtains and high ceilings. I have had the Mango Chicken and the pork buns which were yum! They have a big parking lots so a lot easier to park than PF Changs. I have only gone there for lunch but will go again!
(4)Alissa S.
After checking up on this place on Yelp, I decided to head here to celebrate the Lunar New Year with some tasty take out. Shout out to my fellow yelpers: you're right, this place is like a mini PF Cheng's, to a degree that is almost creepy. But with excellent parking, yo. So I ordered the highly recommended beef potato dish and I also tried the mango coconut chicken. Because I'm not into spicy, I asked for non-spicy versions. The mango chicken had no coconut flavor at all. In fact, the whole dish had no flavor at all. The mango chunks were cooked until they practically disintegrated. Not too appetizing. I realize I ordered the dish to be not too spicy, but, um, some kind of flavor would be good. I also ordered the beef and potato dish. I think this could benefit from a bit less oil and a bit more veggies to cut the heaviness of the beef and potato. There was a lot of meat in both dishes, but both were kind of chewy. Maybe chunks or smaller pieces would help rectify this. The service I got for takeout was fast and friendly, they even offered water while I was waiting. And oddly, the fortune cookies here are the best I've ever tasted, if you're into fortune cookies. My total bill with tax for two dishes of takeout was $26. A bit pricey, and lacking in flavor. But the sizes were generous and there was lots of meat. So I wish I could give 2.5 stars. I plan to return here for dim sum, which they serve all day, and see how it is, so that may make me edit my star rating.
(2)Marta L.
I have eaten at this place several times with friends and it's always a good choice. Yummy starters include the cream cheese crab puffs and love curry dishes and mango chicken..everything is pretty yummy here and place has a nice ambience.
(4)Melanie A.
I've been to Ginger Cafe twice and I will probably go there again. The restaurant is much nicer looking than I had expected. It is clean and modern. The staff is also very friendly and professional. The food is good but not great. I really like the eggplant and tofu dish. However, my b/f (who is a little more critical of asian food) did not think the noodle dishes were very good. If you are not that picky about the authenticity of asian food, and you want to go to a place with a nice atmosphere, then I think this place would be fine.
(3)anjali r.
We've gotten take-out from here several times now, but haven't eaten there yet. We definitely want to - the ambience looks very appealing. pros - super tasty food. loved the salt & pepper prawns. fast. friendly. cons - limited menu, a little pricier than the typical asian restaurant depending on what you're ordering. definitely worth a visit. we're hooked!
(4)Marilu M.
What happened to this place?? We never had a bad experience before but tonight our takeout was just to dump in the trash can. Potstickers old and dry, scallops overcooked and some burned, plastic tofu and few pieces of pork covered by garlic ? At a gourmet restaurant price : 50 bucks?? was it just a really bad day for the cook? We will definitely need some time to forget about this night. Very, very disappointing.
(1)Emily D.
I went here for dinner the other night, and was pleasantly surprised. My fiance and I shared some dim sum (sesame balls and pork buns) and the lettuce cup appetizers. The dim sum was so-so (tasted a little mass produced), and the lettuce cups were really good. My fiance's parents ordered two entrees, and they were very happy with both. Like other people, I would compare this place with PF Chang's, except the atmosphere is WAY better. It's not insanely crowded and loud all the time like PF Chang's. Highly recommended!
(4)Mimi C.
I have dined here for dinner many times and have had good food and good service...however, during my recent dinner visit, I will no longer go back to this restaurant. Positives first...the chicken fried rice and beef chow fun were great. We also order the scallops on tofu and the tofu tasted sour, not only by me but my friend also thought so as well. Fresh tofu is NEVER sour...period. I decided to advise our waitress and she took the dish away...few minutes later, she comes back to "explain" that this particular dish, the tofu can taste sour, I just looked at her and said, "No, tofu is not supposed to taste sour." There was NO apology from anyone there, but instead they wanted to try and dispute my comment? When did it become ok for a restaurant to try and dispute a customer's feedback? I didn't even ask for it to be taken off the bill...a SIMPLE "sorry for that" would have been the very least of my expectations. There are plenty of good restaurants to dine at...this one is off my list.
(1)shelly b.
how many times have i been here and never written a review? now's the time people! i love that when you walk into this place that is very unassuming from the outside, it's warm and inviting and pretty inside. it's not big, but it's comfortable. during lunch, their specials are delicious. you get a heaping portion of food along with rice and soup (the various kinds we've had have all been very tasty). the price is reasonable and the service is pretty prompt. dinner is usually a pretty busy time, but we've always had good service and great food. i'm a huge fan of the green bean chicken. my boyfriend loves the mongolian beef. and even though nothing can ever compare to my favorite crab rangoons in a hidden food court in boston, the crab rangoons here aren't too shabby. not to mention they are stuffed and good size. a good deal is their 3 course dinner menu selections. you can get food for 2 which includes an appetizer, main dishes and dessert. as with the other food, the portions here are generous and the food comes piping hot to the table. and do yourself a favor and try the fried bananas for dessert. gooey bananas inside a crispy eggroll skin with a side of coconut ice cream? yes please! they have quite a selection of mixed drinks which we haven't tried yet. but i have been mesmerized by the bartendar shaking things up when we sit near the bar on many occasions! maybe next time......
(4)Nobody M.
This place fills a good niche spot. It's definitely modeled after PF Changs--Full list of drinks, chic atmosphere, professional wait staff, solid menu and consistently good food--but you won't have to wait for 45 min. to get your Americanized Chinese food. Plus Ginger Cafe ventures into Malaysian and Vietnamese cuisines, too. The Lemon Grass chicken was great (next time I'll ask for a side of peppers, though) and the appetizers (Vietnamese egg rolls and shrimp puffs) were both excellent. My only complaint was that the produce (mint leaves) and the wilting basil I saw accompanying a co-diner's plate look like they'd spent the weekend in the sun. But none-the-less, it's a great place that shouldn't disappoint.
(4)Caroline C.
From Sunday lunch: Inexpensive, fresh, and delicious. We tried pork bun, sesame balls, mandrin garlic tofu, kung pao chicken. The garlic tofu had excellent texture and just enough heat, the pork buns were fine--nothing more to say about them--the sesame balls also normal and up to par. For the price, and the quality, things are pretty much in balance here. Definately great tofu dishes, though not that many of them on the menu. They seemed willing to substitute tofu in other dishes, though. While it's nothing to drive out of the way for, this restaurant met my expectations and fills its boots just about how it should.
(4)Soul B.
This in one of my favorite restaurants in Sunnyvale. The decor is nice and it's got ample parking. Good starters are the lettuce cups, cream cheese crab puffs (I'm a sucker for these). My favorite dishes are the (forgive me if I don't get the name correct that's on the menu) potato beef, salt & pepper shrimp (make sure you say no head or tail) the Catfish, Filet Mignon Luc Lac, the Peking Duck, & the Mongolian beef. Every time people come to visit from out of town, I take them here and everyone has loved it. Better than PF Changs (which I feel is now over priced and under portioned). menu: gingercafe.net/index.php…
(4)Rj A.
My experience at this place has been pleasant, it's convenient since is right few blocks from home. Dim Sum is good, Curry chicken is always good as well for some other dishes. A major thing that I like is the service always right, and that is a plus due to service is one of the major things for me. Good service and good food for a reasonable price.
(5)Veronica B.
Thanks to the "Yelp Pley" Event, I was introduced to Ginger Cafe via their killer dim sum. I suggested to the BF that we make reservations at ginger for our Valentine's day dinner. Assuming that this year's dinner could NOT be as horrendous as last year's experience (see my review for Straits in PA) we decided to go with a pre-fix option for 2 for $50. We were able to choose an appetizer, two entrees, and a dessert with two servings of rice. All were extremely tasty; including the twice-cooked pork tenderloin and the Crispy Shrimp Puffs! But most of all, the BEST part of the dinner was the BOTTOMLESS champagne!!! .. which came incredibly handy when having to sit through the painfully corny film, 'Valentine's Day.' `
(4)Catrina S.
Tasty food. A bit expensive, but the happy hour deals on small plates are great!
(4)tanya f.
We just came back from having dinner at this place. We had to wait over fifteen minutes to get our order taken. It took them another fifteen to twenty minutes to bring our food at which point they brought appetizers and entrees all at once! when we were done with our meal which was pretty good in all honesty and credit to the chef, we waited and waited for the server to come get out credit card for payment so finally chose to pay upfront where take out orders are paid. The hostess hand our bill and cc to our server who doen'st acknowledge that we are right there infront of him who proceeds to run the cc while he waits he rubs he's nose up and down he's sleeve then that's not enough for the itchy nose and he starts rubbing he's other open palm over he's face and nose!!! DISGUSTING!! He says leaves with our credit card but then realizes or is told that we waiting at the front. Comes back and hands my husband a pen and the bill. I had ask if he was sick with a cold just in case... he sais no it's allergies and that that. Well he leaves embarrassed I assume but I ask the hostess for hand sanitizer she looks around and offers a"no we don't have any here". Needless to say we agreed to not go back there! Too bad, really the food is good but what a turn off with the horrible service and quite the show of unsanitary habits in a restaurant. Don't recommend it, unless you want to run the risk of getting sick and getting horrible customer service.
(1)Mike L.
I came here for lunch and was expecting something unique because it was a fusion restaurant, but I was wrong. We ordered 4 dim sum dishes and 1 appetizer side. Scallop Puffs - where is the Scallop part? I saw puffs, some veggies and whole bunch corns which it tasted more like Corn Puffs. Corn way overpowered. Lobster Dumplings - Need me to say again? Corn... corn... corn... I LOVE corns but i didn't order Corn Dumplings... and there was barely any lobster in it.... (what is it with corn in this restaurant...) Vegetable Dumplings - Corn is a vegetable right?! Ordered this vegetarian dumplings and had mixed veggies but no corn... wow... I guess they liked to use corns to cover the expensive ingredients. Pan Fried Blue Crab Dumplings - Ok... maybe I tasted some blue crab meat and there was no corn in this one, but the dumplings were kinda flat. Wasn't dumpling supposed to be puff? Soft Shell Crab Fresh Rolls - Now this was not bad and there is no corn!! It tasted like the Vietnamese Spring Roll but with soft crab shells. PRICE: Not even worth the price. I could get this kind of dishes somewhere else and cheaper. SERVICE: meh, the waitress seemed like she hated working here and there was this guy (looked like a bus boy) walking around and trying to look for stuff to do because there were only a few people. ATMOSPHERE: i liked it. nice decoration and stuff. We were seated close to the restroom and there was another table really close to the restroom. I don't think anyone would like to sit there and watch every single person enter and exit the restroom. The screener isnt too helpful either. Their lunch specials look very generic and nothing to excite about.
(2)Dione B.
For being part of a chain (if small), this is a cozy little restaurant with quite a varied menu. I've been here twice, now, and some advice: go for the dim sum. The entrees are good, yes, but the dim sum you'll see on the front menu is just...heaven. Required is the scallop puffs and the porcupine buns. The latter makes an excellent dessert. Not too rich, and not too much, so long as there's at least two of you eating. Dim sum automatically comes in three pieces, though I haven't seen if they can add on extras if you're on, say, a double-date. Something for me to check on later. The two times I've been, there was no wait for seating, so hopefully that's a trend. If you keep an eye out, you may see a Costco deal for this restaurant, getting you $10 off a $100 gift certificate. They come in $50 cards, so get one for yourself and one for a friend (or just hog them all and have many, many wonderful dinners).
(5)Connie C.
It's easy to overlook Ginger Cafe. You'd never think such a nice looking place exists in a small strip mall in Sunnyvale. It reminds me of PF Chang's, but with more Thai and Vietnamese influences in the food. In fact, there's a PF Chang's across the street. But if I were to choose between the two, I'd definitely come here. Gotta support local businesses! I've only been here for lunch, but their lunch specials are the way to go - for less than $10, you can choose from a variety of dishes, which comes with soup of the day and rice. The portions are really big, so it's definitely enough for two meals. The egg drop corn soup was a tad too starchy, but flavors were good. I got the basil chicken, which was a very tasty stir-fry dish that came with a lot of shiitake mushrooms - my fave! I also had the calamari and shrimp, cleverly served in shrimp chips (such a great idea for hors d' oeuvres to make at home). The seafood was very fresh, and the presentation was lovely. I also really enjoyed the Vietnamese ice coffee, which was not too sweet. Since I was dining solo, I sat at the bar, where the staff was super friendly and very attentive. While this is not a super authentic Southeast Asian restaurant, I still enjoyed the food!
(4)Chris D.
I'll be straight. Mediocre experience at best. The atmosphere of the place gave me high expectations despite the lack of people who were sat down when I arrived. The waitress that helped my gf and I was incredibly helpful though, taking her time to explain the menu and the various options that they had. However, when it came down to the food, I'm gonna pass. We ordered up the duck and expected to have pippin hot duck with the steamy buns and instead we got room temperature duck and some cut tortillas... yes. they use tortillas, complete with the container that you'd easily find at a mexican joint, not an asian restaurant. 'nuff said.
(2)Gurpreet S.
If you're craving Asian fusion this is the place to check out. The ambiance is quite good, and the food is delicious. The dumplings are to die for. Portions are huge, so beware. Its nigh impossible to finish one dish on your own. Go family style, and indulge yourself in some great cooking. The cocktail selection is quite good too, for when you need to just unwind :-)
(4)KeepItReal I.
Pleasantly surprised by the high quality of food, excellent service, and variety of dishes. Our party of three came here for lunch on a weekday. We ordered 3 lunch specials to share: orange chicken, crispy tofu, and satay three delights. Ranged in price from 7.75 to 9.95 per dish, which included soup, white or fried rice, and the entree. We also ordered the mu shu chicken rolls as an appetizer. Everything was delicious and distinctive; the dishes didn't all have that same flavor that sometimes happens when you order lunch specials. The orange chicken was very tender and not overly breaded. The crispy tofu had a really nice coating of panko? It was unique and very delicious, especially if you feel like having a vegetarian meal. The satay three delights had plenty of chicken, calamari, shrimp, asparagus and broccoli with a flavorful wok-smoky flavor in the sauce. Even the chicken and corn soup of the day was tasty-- not bland or watery. The food came out in a very timely fashion and our waters were always filled. They even brought out plates for us to share our meals family style before we even requested them. It's very clean, airy, and comfortably decorated with a full bar and interesting looking cocktails. The service was efficient and friendly. And the portions were hearty. We had leftovers of everything. The dinner entrees and dim sum look great (they have two digital frames that show pictures of all the different dishes) but seem pricey. I totally agree with other reviewers that the food here is so much better than at PF Changs or other Chinese places. I was really impressed with the restaurant--because authentic Asian places with great food usually lack in the decor/service areas, but Ginger Cafe pretty much had it all. Highly recommend. We will definitely come back to try other lunch entrees.
(5)Andrew N.
I haven't been here in a while cause the prices scare me since I'm currently looking for a job. Other than that, the food was good. I was really surprised that they had sweet and sour vegetarian chicken. The rice here had a fancy feel to it (at least when I had it), but the vegetarian chicken felt like I bought it from a fast food place (that is good and bad). Tastes great... but it was a bit oily. I will have to give it another try one day and bring some friends as the environment looks nice. So far I just had take out.
(3)Moe R.
I saw a review on foodgal.com and have been meaning to come here for a long time. Finally did so today and it was very good! The food is Asian, but that's about all the characterization I can do! Elements of Chinese, Thai, Malaysian. And they have dim sum style dishes. We had: - Garlic chicken dish (sorry, I don't know the name it had on the menu) which was VERY garlicky (in a good way, in my opinion), slightly sweet in a way that played well with the garlic. Well cooked, tender and juicy, with nice amount of sauce. - Beef with potatoes. Yes, potatoes. (See what I mean about trying to characterize the place?) This was quite delicious, kind of a country-fried-potatoes-meets beef stir fry. The potatoes were tender and nicely browned. The beef was well crisped. It had a LOT of black pepper (mostly in a good way but spicier than might be expected). Very good flavor and hard to stop eating! - Steamed bun (Char Siu Bao). Large, well puffed bun with nicely seasoned pork. Nicely done but not a standout. Nice decor, quiet and spacious. The service was prompt and courteous. Price was fair, around $8.50-10 per entree.
(4)Hogan W.
I came here after making reservations over Open Table and reading a lot of decent reviews from Yelpers. The wife and I arrived at 12:30pm for lunch on Sunday with high expectations after viewing the mouth watering pictures. We walked in and was greeted by the receptionist/waitress. There was only one other family in the restaurant with us. The menu gave choices of small plates, lunch specials, noodles, appetizers, meats, poultry, soups and salads. After examining the menu, we chose on a few items: 1) Ha Gao (Dumpling wrap was cooked fresh and not frozen beforehand, good filling, and large shrimp pieces) 2) Crispy Shrimp Puff (Fried to a golden brown, crispy shell, diced shrimp chunks, came with a peanut sauce but had to ask for sweet and sour instead) 3) Lobster Dumpling (shredded lobster pieces infused with corn and spices in a transparent dumpling topped off with a pea, tasted fresh and succulent) 4) Porcupine Custard Bun (cute little bun came in a small plate of 3, tasted rubbery like it was cooked once then cooked again or lightly fried before serving, and did not have enough custard filling to satisfy a sweet craving) [see pic] 5) Soft Shell Crab Fresh Rolls (a large rectangular dish with 8 pieces of fresh rolls, crisp lettuce and steaming vermicelli noodles, garnished with more peanut sauce and hot sriracha sauce, and I could taste how fresh the ss crab was deep friend and tender) [see pic] 6) Vietnamese Hot Coffee (great visual appearance, but too much condensed milk diffused the roasted coffee taste and made it too sweet) [see pic] *The hot mustard we asked for on the side looked less desirable and should've been served in a cup rather than a plate. [see pic] The decor looks very similar to PF Chang's across the street but Buddhist inspired. The placement of decorations and furniture creates a nice cozy atmosphere and setting for intimate couples and large groups. A step up better than traditional Chinese dim-sum restaurants, Ginger Cafe offers a wide variety of dishes to satisfy picky eaters like myself. I didn't even taste a hint of MSG to their dishes. The next time I order their hot Vietnamese coffee, I'll be sure to ask for less condensed milk. Our total bill came to $34.15 before tip. With the ambiance, food, and service, I'll definitely be back to try more menu items for dinner.
(4)Lostin Thought A.
This is my first one star rating but felt others ought to know. I have eaten at Ginger Cafe three times because it is right next door to my Credit Union and is convenient to pick up lunch but each time has been a terribly disappointing experience and I will sum it up with one word "GREASY!" Specifically - today I ordered their vegetarian egg roll, of course I expected some grease because it's a fried food but not a 1/4 inch (honest) at the bottom of the container. Also please expect an extra 4 tablespoons of grease left after eating their chicken in lettuce wraps too! I ordered this a second time today hoping my first experience was just a fluke. I do all the Corporate catering for my office and have just crossed them off my list as a potential vendor....sorry Ginger Cafe! :-|
(1)Tony D.
Last week I was dying for some good asian food and decided to give this place a spin from the Yelp reviews. It's not a place you'd probably ever stumble across if you weren't looking for it, but you'd be glad you did. Clean and visually pleasing, friendly and prompt service all the way through (the check actually came just as quickly as the food!) and most importantly, very good food and surprisingly ample portions. I had the Mango Chicken, which came in a creamy coconut curry sauce that actually had a little bit of kick to it. One of my pet peeves is asian food places that have erased all the spice to their dishes because they assume no white people can stand it. I have to order things at level 10 hot just to get to what I'd consider "medium" hotness. My friend had the orange chicken which was lightly breaded and quite good as well. Amusingly he liked my dish a little better and I liked his, but both of us liked both dishes. You might laugh, but I will mention that the water here isn't godawful like half the asian food joints I've been to, so you aren't forced to get a coke just to have some liquid to wash down your food that doesn't make you gag. Good tasting water is actually a pretty good thing for me, as I'm counting calories and soda is an easy one to get rid of. Ginger Cafe honestly doesn't seem to have any weaknesses other than it's slightly hidden location. It was lightly crowded for lunch but I wonder how busy it is at dinner. Might have to find out!
(4)Nance H.
I dined here with my childhood friend over the weekend. We ordered the 2 dinner special for $30. The dinner included: blue crab dumplings, string bean chicken, mongolian beef, egg rice, and fried banana ice cream. In addition to the dinner special, we also ordered the porcupine custard bun. I really enjoyed the blue crab dumplings. However, both main courses: mongolian beef and the string bean chicken, especially had high levels of sodium. I know as a yelp reader, you don't know much about me. I usually don't consume a lot of fluids. But during the dinner, I drank literally 5 cups of water. And the salt was so overwhelming that I could taste the salt even after gulping down the water. I'm not sure what it was- the salt, or the MSG, but they killed it (not in a good way!) The fried banana ice cream was delicious though. It was probably the best thing we had all throughout the meal. The porcupine custard bun was great in presentation, but it lacked flavor and was definitely not as tasty as it looks. Overall, it was OK, but I probably wouldn't come back.
(3)Chris V.
I agree with the review of Michael F from 4/2012. Came there approximately 8pm on a Saturday night with my girlfriend for dinner. I had heard of the popularity of Ginger Cafe so I called ahead for reservations. I have had dinner from here before but just take out, so I was looking forward to this. We showed up approximately 8pm and the restaurant was nearly empty? It was a Saturday night at 8pm? We were seated and given menus and a waitress came by to give us water. We didn't see anyone again for 15 mins. There were adequate servers, they just were too busy sitting at the tables and chatting. We ordered dim sum and two entrees. Got the dim sim dishes after about 10 mins which were ok, not great but ok. We didn't see any other food for almost 40 mins! Finally the other dishes came and were tasty! In short food is good, service is bad. Slow, slow service, and needlessly so. Restaurant only had 4 tables! Each time a server came to our table it was someone different who barely spoke and who hardly made eye contact. Gave two stars because the food is good, but the service and speed borders on bad to terrible.
(2)Crystal S.
Food: delicous. Service: non existent. The waiter mistook our order and once we realized it was the wrong dish, we'd eaten 3 of 6 rolls. We asked for what we originally ordered....it came, and the bill came for both dishes. They only gave half back. Why was it my fault that the waiter gave me the wrong dish and we didn't realize the difference between the rolls right away? On the good side: the busboy was great! He was the only person who checked on us and filled my water after 40 minutes of waiting. The waiter and waitress seemed just too busy....with the 2 other tables?! We looked for them several times but there was no one around. So, if I didn't have other options to get great Asian food, I would go back. But since I have so many other options and service makes or breaks my experience....I won't be going back.
(1)Van N.
You can definitely skip this new restaurant. The decor was slightly less tacky than PF Changs, but the food wasn't as good. That isn't saying much either because I hate PF Changs Americanized style of Chinese food and you can find the same here. The soup was super bland and the meat was salty as hell. Lucky for me this meal was free or else I would have been pissed I wasted money here. Bottom Line : A must "pass"
(2)Sonja S.
My first experience at Ginger Cafe was probably almost a year back when my roommate and me decided to get some late lunch around 2pm on a Saturday. The place was empty when we entered but still the service was very friendly. I was a little bit confused by all the different influences/ fusion cuisines when looking at the menu. It feels a little bit like stuffing all south east asia on one single menu. We ordered 2 different dishes and dessert and were both somewhat pleased with our meals. However it was nothing outstanding and the prices were a bit too high for the quality of the meal. Knock a dollar off or two and the price matches the quality of the food. Another time I ordered take out - mainly for Dim Sum. Again the food was average - not excellent but also not bad.
(3)